Follow-up of patients with double stranded DNA antibodies induced by sulfasalazine during the treatment of inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Twenty-four patients with chronic inflammatory joint diseases developed double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies during sulfasalazine (SAS) therapy and 20 of these 24 patients could be followed over a mean period of 11 months. Only one of the patients showed clinical symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). DsDNA antibodies were transient in two thirds of the patients discontinuing SAS treatment and in the same proportion of the individuals who did not interrupt this medication.