Risk factors for serious infections in inpatients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the risk factors for serious infections among hospitalized systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and to provide the advice for preventing serious infections in SLE patients.

METHODS

Information of SLE patients hospitalized from March 2017 to February 2019 at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University was obtained. The patients were assigned into a serious infection group and a non-serious infection group. The risk factors for serious infections among SLE inpatients were identified by comparison between the 2 groups and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

There were 463 SLE inpatients in total, and 144 were in the serious infection group and 319 in the non-serious infection group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥54.50 years old (OR=4.958, P<0.001), cardiovascular involvement (OR=6.287, P<0.001), hematologic involvement (OR=2.643, P=0.003), serum albumin <20 g/L (OR=2.340, P=0.036), C-reaction protein (CRP)/erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)≥0.12 (OR=2.430, P=0.002), glucocorticoid dose ≥8.75 mg/d prednisone-equivalent (OR=2.465, P=0.002), and the combined use of immunosuppressive agents (OR=2.847, P=0.037) were the risk factors for serious infections in SLE inpatients.

CONCLUSIONS

SLE patients with older age, cardiovascular involvement, hematologic involvement, low serum albumin are prone to suffering serious infections. Increased CRP/ESR ratio indicates serious infections in SLE inpatients. High-dose glucocorticoid and the combined use of immunosuppressive agents can increase the risk of serious infections in SLE inpatients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome associated Addison disease: A case report

Addison disease is rare, and it is rarer to coexist with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We hereby reported a middle-aged female who presented with nausea, vomit, skin and mucosa hyperpigmentation, hypotension, hyponatremia, and pulmonary infection after diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the left lower extremity and systemic lupus erythematosus in 2012. The patient was finally diagnosed with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus with Addison disease after the examination, such as blood cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone rhythm, and antiphospholipid antibody, who was improved clinically after hormone, anti-infective, and anticoagulant treatment. The patient's condition was stable in the follow-up. In clinic, we should pay attention to adrenal damage in patients with connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and be alert to the occurrence of adrenal crisis.