Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection precipitates SLE in patients from endemic areas.
In a cohort of 70 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients diagnosed over 2 years period, 14 patients were found to have confirmed antecedent tuberculosis (20.0%) which was 40 times higher (p < 0.001, 95%CI 36.2-48.6) than the prevalence of tuberculosis in the local population. Demonstration of anti-histone antibodies in similar proportion of SLE patients with and without antecedent anti-TB treatment and similar proportion of renal involvement (36 vs. 40%) between anti-TB drug exposed and non-exposed patients ruled out the drugs to be causative factors in precipitating SLE in these patients with antecedent history of tuberculosis. A cohort of 30 confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients were also studied in parallel to demonstrate high incidence of autoantibodies in these patients but no SLE. This study suggests a role of prior tuberculosis in precipitating SLE in genetically predisposed patients.
Ghosh
Kanjaksha
K
Department of Immunology and Autoimmunedisorders, National Institute of Immunohaematology (ICMR), 13 Th Fl KEM Hospital Campus, Parel, Mumbai, 400 012, India. kanjakshaghosh@hotmail.com
Patwardhan
Manisha
M
Pradhan
Vandana
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015551:Autoimmunity; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D015995:Prevalence; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D001323:Autoantibodies