INFECTION AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSU S - A 145 PATIENTS SERIES ANALYSIS

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SEL) is a chronic inflammatory disease, which often requires corticosteroid treatment, being infection a commo n cause of both morbidity and mortality. We report the infectious epis odes from 145 SLE patients revisited through 1975-1991, with a 6.8 yea rs mean follow-up period. The relationship between each episode and se veral variables, especially corticosteroid treatment a month before th e infectious episode, was analyzed. Forty two infections were diagnose d in 32 patients (22.06%). A significant increase in the number of inf ections among SLE patients with daily corticosteroids treatment was ob served with respect to that of SLE patients with alternate day treatme nt (p<0.001). The administration corticosteroids in alternate day form , if possible, can decrease the infection incidence in SLE patients.