Abstract
This study was done to investigate the effect of tuberculosis on disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Out of 231 patients with SLE who were admitted to our hospital between 1979 and 1988, five patients (2.2%) developed tuberculosis. No remarkable changes of disease activity of SLE were found by the development of tuberculosis in 3 patients. However, clinical and immunological improvement of SLE was found in two patients after development of relatively severe miliary tuberculosis. These 2 patients showed loss of proteinuria and rheumatoid factor and reduction of antinuclear antibody (ANA) and antiDNA antibody titers, all of which occurred 3 to 6 months after development of tuberculosis. It is suggested that severe miliary tuberculosis could modify or improve SLE as mycobacterium tuberculosis has diverse effects on the host immune state.
