SUMMARY
OBJECTIVE
To study the profile of associated autoimmune diseases in a series of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and see if such associations are linked to IgA deficiency.
METHODS
Two hundred eighty-one patients with SLE were studied for Ig A levels by nephelometry. Levels equal to or under 0.05g/dL were considered as IgA deficiency. Epidemiological and clinical data, including the presence of associated autoimmune diseases, were extracted from the patient’s charts.
RESULTS
Ig A deficiency was found in 6% of the patients. In 30.2% of SLE patients, there was at least one more autoimmune disease; Hashimoto thyroiditis and Sjögren’s syndrome were the most common. No association between the occurrence of associated autoimmune disease with IgA deficiency was found.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a high prevalence of autoimmune diseases associated with SLE. IgA deficiency does not affect the presence of these associations.
Lupus erythematosus, systemic; Immunoglobulin A; IgA deficiency; Autoimmune diseases; Hashimoto disease; Sjögren’s syndrome