SPECIFIC DRUGS CAN INDUCE a
REVERSIBLE 'LUPUS - LIKE'
SYNDROME
It has been known
for more than half a century that drugs can induce SLE.
It is generally believed to be an immunologic
hypersensitivity reaction;
hence, patients with SLE have an underlying immune
dysfunction
and are more susceptible to the development
of drug-mediated antibodies and immune complexes.
An initial negative antinuclear antibody titer does not
exclude
the possibility of SLE because false-negative results can
occur.
However, despite knowing the 80 or more drugs
that can cause a range of autoimmune symptoms,
this mechanisms remain poorly understood.
.
Generally, lupus that is caused by a drug exposure goes
away once the drug is stopped.
The characteristic picture of this
'drug induced syndrome' is:
pleuro-pericardial inflammation, fever, rash
and arthritis.
Many clinical manifestations as well as serologic
changes,
positive LE Cell Prep and positive ANA,
may occur.
The symptoms always subside over time, once the offending
drugs, which have been found to be implicated, are
discontinued.
Drug-induced SLE does not generally progress to major
organ
involvment nor to Central
Nervous System involvement.
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