5 Interesting Facts of Drug induced Lupus Erythematosus
- 1. The development of drug-induced autoantibodies is much more common than the development of lupus-like disease.
- 2. The classic autoantibody present in most cases of drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE) is an IgG antibody directed against histones.
- 3. Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) should be considered in any patient who develops SCLE after the age of 50 years.
- 4. The cornerstone of therapy in DILE is the discontinuation of the offending drug.
- 5. The use of drugs associated with DILE is not contraindicated in the treatment of patients with SLE if their use is clinically indicated.
Drug induced Lupus Erythematosus is a lupus-like illness that occurs in some individuals after exposure to a causative drug for a few weeks to more than a year. There are over 100 drugs with various chemical structures from more than 10 drug categories that have been implicated in causing Drug induced Lupus Erythematosus.
