ALLERGY AND SLE - COMMON AND VARIABLE

Autoimmune conditions and allergic diseases are both characterized by immune dysregulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in cidence of various allergic disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sixty patients with SLE completed a questionnaire detailing their allergic disorders, which we compared with those of 6 0 age- and sex-matched healthy people. Forty-four of the SLE patients (56%) had at least one type of allergic disorder. Perturbation of immu noregulation in SLE patients may increase the susceptibility to develo p IgE-mediated allergic disorders.