LETTER

Lupus relapse after prostaglandin E₁ administration: activation of a cytokine cascade?

M de la Torre¹, R Alcázar¹, D Sánchez de la Nieta¹, J Nieto¹, I Ferreras¹ and J M Urra²

¹ Nephrology and Services, Complejo Hospitalario Ciudad Real, Spain
² Immunology Service, Complejo Hospitalario Ciudad Real, Spain

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr M de la Torre, Servicio de Nefrología, Complejo Hospitalario de Ciudad Real, 13002 Ciudad Real, Spain;
mtorref@nexo.es

Keywords: prostaglandin E₁; cytokine cascade; systemic lupus erythematosus

A variety of abnormalities in cytokine production occur in human and murine lupus, but their specific role in lupus pathogenesis is unknown.¹ Recent in vitro studies emphasise the role of prostaglandins in the cytokine induction and modulation of the humoral immune response.^2,3 We present a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who had a relapse after prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) administration, which to our knowledge has not been previously reported.

A 25 year old woman was admitted to hospital to receive treatment with IV PGE₁ owing to severe Raynaud's phenomenon. Fifteen years previously SLE had been diagnosed according to American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria, with renal biopsy proven diffuse proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis (WHO class IV). A physical examination showed only painful, violaceous, and atrophic finger pads with no signs of systemic inflammatory disease. The chest x ray films were normal and laboratory investigations showed antinuclear antibodies (ANA; titre 1/160) and . . . [Full text of this article]

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