Patterns and Predictors of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases in Sana'a City: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Autoimmune diseases involve immune attacks on self-antigens, causing tissue and organ damage. Data on the prevalence and predictors of systemic autoimmune diseases in Yemen are limited. Objective: This study aimed to assess the patterns and predictors of systemic autoimmune diseases among patients in Sana'a, Yemen. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases between 2020 and 2022 at four major referral hospitals in Sana'a. A standardized tool was used to collect demographic, clinical, laboratory, and diagnostic data from medical records. Logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors. Results: Records for 1,061 patients were analyzed; mean age was 37.23 ± 12.81 years and 63.2% were female. The most common diagnoses were autoimmune hepatitis (44.4%), hypothyroidism (21.8%), and inflammatory bowel disease (16.6%). Gastrointestinal symptoms were the most frequent presentation (35.3%), followed by systemic (17.8%) and hepatic or biliary symptoms (12.5%). Female gender (AOR = 2.80, p < 0.001) and a higher hemoglobin-to-platelet ratio (AOR = 2.58, p < 0.001) were significant independent predictors. The model showed good fit, explained 10.1% to 15.9% of the variance, and achieved 82.1% classification accuracy. Conclusions: Autoimmune hepatitis, hypothyroidism, and inflammatory bowel disease were the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. Systemic autoimmune disorders were significantly associated with female gender and a high hemoglobin-to-platelet ratio. Further research is needed to validate these biomarkers across diverse populations.