Systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with Reiter's syndrome

Coexistence of ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus

Coexistence of ankylosing spondylitis with connective tissue diseases is uncommon. We describe here the coexistence of ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus in a 35-year-old man. He presented with a 4-year history of pain in the hip joint and lower spine, and he later developed a malar rash and discoid rash. Immunological tests revealed that antinuclear antibody and double stranded DNA antibody were positive. The human leukocyte antigen B27 antigen was also found to be positive. We propose that development of systemic lupus erythematosus in this case may have been due to low grade chronic inflammation.

Coexistence of ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease

We report the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian woman suffering from ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease in whom the prevailing clinical features were retinal vasculitis and inflammatory low back pain. HLA typing revealed the concomitant presence of B27 and DR2 antigens. We hypothesise that the uncommon coexistence of ankylosing spondylitis and connective tissue disease in the same patient could be due to the exceptional association of HLA- B27 with the DR2 antigen.

Concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis

The case is reported of a 42 year old white woman meeting currently used diagnostic criteria for both ankylosing spondylitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As found in a previously described similar case of a black man, HLA typing showed antigens associated with both SLE and seronegative spondyloarthropathy. This case thus supports the hypothesis that the two diseases occur together only when this rare combination of HLA antigens is present.