Allergy and SLE: common and variable.

Autoimmune conditions and allergic diseases are both characterized by immune dysregulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of various allergic disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sixty patients with SLE completed a questionnaire detailing their allergic disorders, which we compared with those of 60 age- and sex-matched healthy people. Forty-four of the SLE patients (56%) had at least one type of allergic disorder. Perturbation of immunoregulation in SLE patients may increase the susceptibility to develop IgE-mediated allergic disorders.