title: A new onset of systemic lupus erythematosus developed after bee venom therapy.
abstract: Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease of an unknown origin, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be triggered by numerous stimuli. Bee venom therapy is an alternative therapy that is believed to be effective for various kinds of arthritis. We present here a case of a 49-year-old female who experienced a new onset lupus after undergoing bee venom therapy, and this looked like a case of angioedema. The patient was successfully treated with high dose steroids and antimalarial drugs. We discuss the possibility of bee venom contributing to the development of SLE, and we suggest that such treatment should be avoided in patients with lupus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, and Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Rho
authors.forename: Jin-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Seong Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Dae
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Gwan Gyu
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D001514:Bee Venoms