Risk factors for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis or systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate risk factors for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM).


METHODS
The subjects were 75 patients hospitalized because of SLE or PM/DM who were administered corticosteroids 40 mg/day or above as prednisolone. The relationship between clinical symptoms of SLE and PM/DM and the occurrence of PCP was evaluated.


RESULTS
Seven patients (9.3%) developed PCP and 3 died. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis was observed in all 7 patients who developed PCP, and its incidence was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in those who did not develop PCP (6/68). The incidence of PCP in patients with SLE was 1.7%, but that of patients with PM/DM was 37.5%. The peripheral blood lymphocyte count was 1052.7/microliters in patients who developed PCP, which was significantly lower (p < 0.01) than 1841.6/microliters in patients who did not develop PCP.


CONCLUSIONS
A low peripheral lymphocyte count and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis were considered risk factors for PCP in patients administered corticosteroids for SLE or PM/DM.
Kadoya
A
A
Department of Internal Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Japan.
Okada
J
J
Iikuni
Y
Y
Kondo
H
H
D000328:Adult; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors