Cardiac and Laboratory Findings in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

* Subject recruitment and obtaining consent Study subjects (SLE patients) will be recruited from patients attending outpatient clinic and inpatients of the Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University. Written informed consent form will be obtained from each patient. * Baseline evaluation: 1. All SLE patients selected for the study will fulfill the ACR criteria for the diagnosis of SLE . 2. Thorough clinical history and examination will be performed to all SLE patients. Pulmonary function (PFTs) test will be performed to exclude respiratory failure. 3. Urine pregnancy test to exclude pregnancy will be performed to all SLE females' patients of the childbearing period in the study group. * Laboratory tests: the following tests will be performed to all study population: 1. Complete blood count (CBC), 2. Liver and kidney functions and measurement of protein in urine collected over 24 hours, 3. Levels of Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). 4. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and their titer will be assessed by indirect immunofluorescence, 5. Complement system C3 and C4 factors will be measured to determine disease activity, 6. Serum levels of anticardiolipin (aCL) and lupus anticoagulant antibodies will be measured using ELISA. * Disease activity will be assessed by using SELDAI score \[11\]. * Cardiac evaluation 1. Echocardiography will be performed to evaluate structural and functional outcome measures. 2. Cardiac MRI: Multiple consecutive MR image sections will be obtained from the apex to the base of the heart. T2 and T1 mapping will be performed. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images will be acquired 15 min after injection of 0.2 mmol/kg of gadolinium based contrast agent. The functional and volumetric analysis will be performed to quantify ventricular volumes and functions.