| Abstract | OBJECTIVE: To investigate risk factors for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). METHODS: The subjects were 75 patients hospitalized because of SLE or PM/DM who were administered corticosteroids 40 mg/day or above as prednisolone. The relationship between clinical symptoms of SLE and PM/DM and the occurrence of PCP was evaluated. RESULTS: Seven patients (9.3%) developed PCP and 3 died. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis was observed in all 7 patients who developed PCP, and its incidence was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in those who did not develop PCP (6/68). The incidence of PCP in patients with SLE was 1.7%, but that of patients with PM/DM was 37.5%. The peripheral blood lymphocyte count was 1052.7/microliters in patients who developed PCP, which was significantly lower (p < 0.01) than 1841.6/microliters in patients who did not develop PCP. CONCLUSION: A low peripheral lymphocyte count and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis were considered risk factors for PCP in patients administered corticosteroids for SLE or PM/DM. |
| Authors | A Kadoya, J Okada, Y Iikuni, H Kondo
(Affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Japan.)
|
| Journal | The Journal of rheumatology
(J Rheumatol)
Vol. 23
Issue 7
Pg. 1186-8
(Jul 1996)
ISSN: 0315-162X CANADA |
| PMID | 8823690
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
|
| Topics |
- Adult
- Central Nervous System Diseases
(etiology, microbiology)
- Dermatomyositis
(complications, epidemiology, microbiology)
- Female
- Humans
- Incidence
- Kidney Diseases
(etiology, microbiology)
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
(complications, epidemiology, microbiology)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Opportunistic Infections
(epidemiology)
- Pneumonia, Pneumocystis
(epidemiology)
- Polymyositis
(complications, epidemiology, microbiology)
- Risk Factors
|
