This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Erdozain, J-G Articles by Aguirre, C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Erdozain, J-G Articles by Aguirre, C Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

High risk of tuberculosis in systemic lupus erythematosus?

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bizkaia, Spain

G Ruiz-Irastorza

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bizkaia, Spain, r.irastorza{at}euskalnet.net

M-V Egurbide

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bizkaia, Spain

A Martinez-Berriotxoa

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bizkaia, Spain

C Aguirre

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Cruces, University of the Basque Country, Bizkaia, Spain

The incidence and severity of tuberculosis (TB) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) varies greatly among different series. In addition, prospective data are scarce. The aim of this study is to analyse the frequency and severity of TB in our cohort of lupus patients. We analysed data from a prospective database of a single center cohort of 232 patients with SLE (ACR criteria). Prophylaxis with isoniazid was not regularly administered. We identified all cases of TB diagnosed during 10 years (January 1994 to December 2003). The following variables were analysed: annual incidence of TB, location of infection and response to therapy. Data from published series reporting on the incidence of TB among SLE patients were extracted.

Three patients (1.3%) suffered clinically manifest TB in 1603 patient-years of follow-up, resulting in an incidence of 187 cases/100 000 patient-years (95% CI 39-547). The pooled annual incidence of TB infection in our area during this period was 30/100 000 individuals. We recorded two cases of pulmonary TB and one case of tuberculous pleurisy. All patients had good response to therapy. The annual incidence of TB among SLE patients in other series, most of them from developing countries, varied between 150/100 000 patients in Turkey and 2450/100 000 patients in India. Of note, high prevalence of extrapulmonary forms as well as elevated TB-associated mortality was reported in most series.

TB was more frequent in SLE patients than expected in the general population. We did not see any cases of disseminated infection and all patients had good response to treatment. Our data compare favourably in terms of incidence, severity and outcome with those from highly endemic areas.

Key Words: antiphospholipid • corticosteroids • damage • immunosuppressants • infection

Lupus, Vol. 15, No. 4, 232-235 (2006)
DOI: 10.1191/0961203306lu2289xx


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. KIRAY, O. KASAPCOPUR, V. BAS, A. KAMBUROGLU-GOKSEL, K. MIDILLI, N. ARISOY, and Y. TASTAN Purified Protein Derivative Response in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis J Rheumatol, September 1, 2009; 36(9): 2029 - 2032. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]