LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS-LIKE FEATURES IN PATIENTS WITH CUTANEOUS T-CELL LYMPHOMA

Citation
Ei. Mcburney et al., LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS-LIKE FEATURES IN PATIENTS WITH CUTANEOUS T-CELL LYMPHOMA, International journal of dermatology, 37(8), 1998, pp. 579-585
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Dermatology & Venereal Diseases
ISSN journal
00119059
Volume
37
Issue
8
Year of publication
1998
Pages
579 - 585
Database
ISI
SICI code
0011-9059(1998)37:8<579:LEFIPW>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
Background The development of lupus erythematosus-like (LE-like) featu res in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has not been rep orted previously in the literature. Both diseases, however, have been etiologically linked to retroviruses. Objective Our purpose was to rep ort four cases of patients with CTCL who developed LE-like features du ring the course of their disease, and to evaluate for evidence of anti bodies to retroviruses in the sera of these patients. Patients Four pa tients with biopsy-proven CTCL with clinical or histologic features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were evaluated for clinical and la boratory criteria for SLE. Only one patient demonstrated four American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria sufficient for the diagnosis of SLE. The remaining three patients demonstrated one or two criteria fo r SLE. In addition, the sera of these patients were examined by Wester n blot analysis for evidence of human immunodeficiency virus type I (H IV-I), human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I), or human intr acistemal A-type particle type I (HIAP-I) retroviral proteins. Each pa tient demonstrated antibodies to some of the retroviral proteins exami ned. The sera of two patients reacted to proteins for HIAP-I, and the sera of two patients reacted to p24 gag proteins of HIV-I. No patient reacted to HTLV-I proteins. Conclusions Our report identifies four pat ients with CTCL who developed LE-like features during the course of th eir disease. Although the etiology of CTCL and SLE has not been well e stablished, each has been linked to retroviruses. Evidence of antibodi es to retroviral proteins was identified in each of our patients by We stern blot analysis. Although the clinical and laboratory findings in these cases do not resolve the etiologic role of retroviruses in CTCL or SLE, they suggest that retroviruses may have a role in the pathogen esis of the clinical phenomenon reported in these four patients.