Smoking Ups Lupus Risk: Report

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Thursday December 20 1:13 PM ET

Smoking Ups Lupus Risk: Report

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Smokers are at increased risk of developing the

autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, according to the results of a

recent study.

Lupus can occur in several forms, but systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE)--usually referred to simply as lupus--is the most serious type. It is an

incurable disease marked by inflammation and damage to tissue and organs

throughout the body, including the joints, skin, heart, kidney and central

nervous system. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, meaning it occurs when the

immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissue.

``The results of this study provide further evidence for smoking as an important

risk factor for the development (of lupus),'' Dr. Najeeb O. Ghaussy and

colleagues from the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in

Albuquerque write in their report published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

``This is the first study showing an association between SLE and smoking in a

predominantly Hispanic group,'' they add.

The researchers interviewed 125 patients with SLE and 125 healthy adults who

were matched by age and sex to the lupus patients.

The investigators found that people who were current smokers were seven times

more likely than nonsmokers to have lupus. Those who were former smokers were

nearly four times as likely to develop lupus as never-smokers.

``It is not surprising that cigarettes might have some effect on autoimmunity,

as there are at least 55 chemical factors that affect cell growth or viability

in cigarette smoke including carbon monoxide, cyanide, hydrazine, hydroquinone

and others,'' Ghaussy and colleagues point out.

``It is also possible that cigarette smoking may act in concert with other

environmental triggers, such as infection, to initiate the autoimmune process,''

the authors add.

SOURCE: Journal of Rheumatology 2001;28:2449-2453.