Arthritis and hypertension in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have, as part of their disease, persistent rheumatoid-like arthritis are less likely to be hypertensive than are other patients with SLE.


METHODS
A retrospective chart analysis of 662 patients with SLE seen in a university clinic was performed.


RESULTS
Data analysis revealed that hypertension and persistent arthritis were inversely correlated, particularly in those patients without nephritis and particularly in black patients.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that rheumatoid-like arthritis in patients with SLE is protective against hypertension, and speculate that this protection is conferred by a higher frequency of the DR4 allele.
Kaplan
D
D
Department of Medicine, State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn 11203.
Ginzler
E M
EM
Feldman
J
J
D001168:Arthritis / Q000150:complications*; D044383:Black People; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People