PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Martínez-Martínez, Marco Ulises
AU  - Herrera-van Oostdam, David
AU  - Román-Acosta, Susana
AU  - Magaña-Aquino, Martín
AU  - Baranda-Cándido, Lourdes
AU  - Abud-Mendoza, Carlos
TI  - Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
AID  - 10.3899/jrheum.111498
DP  - 2012 Jun 15
TA  - The Journal of Rheumatology
PG  - jrheum.111498
4099  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2012/06/11/jrheum.111498.short
4100  - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2012/06/11/jrheum.111498.full
AB  - Objective Invasive fungal infections (IFI) are catastrophic diseases associated with a high mortality. Relatively few cases of IFI have been described in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their related factors have not been completely explored. We evaluated factors associated with IFI in patients with SLE. Methods All patients with both IFI and SLE admitted to our hospital in the last 7 years were evaluated and each was compared with 5 hospitalized patients with SLE (controls). Demographic factors, duration of SLE, and treatment in the previous month were compared. Results Sixty patients with SLE were evaluated (10 with IFI and 50 controls). Median age was 29 years. High C-reactive protein levels were associated with IFI, along with other factors such as high disease activity, mechanical ventilation, treatment with antibiotics, hemodialysis, high doses of glucocorticoids (GC), and treatment with mycophenolate mofetil. Mortality was 4 times more frequent in patients with IFI than in SLE patients without the deep fungal infection. Conclusion IFI is a rare infection observed in patients with rheumatic diseases. We describe factors associated with IFI in patients with SLE. IFI is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment are desirable.