RESPIRATORY INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS - CLINICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDY

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (3) , 385-395
Abstract
Patients (30) fulfilling conventional criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and who presented with extensive pleural and pulmonary involvement were studied retrospectively. Four overlapping patterns of respiratory disease were identified, and observations were made on their clinical presentation, radiographic abnormalities and response to treatment. A low incidence of severe renal disease was found in this series of patients, and this was in keeping with the general finding of low serum binding using native DNA in a globulin Farr-binding technique (greater than 20% binding in only 4/21 (19%) of the series) and normal or elevated serum C3 [the 3rd complement component] levels. Precipitating antibody detected by double diffusion and counter-current immunoelectrophoresis, and probably reacting in most cases with single-stranded DNA was detected in 66% of pretreatment serum samples tested. Different types of anti-nuclear antibody may be associated with different clinical manifestations seen within a group of patients who broadly fulfill the criteria for SLE.