Risk Factors for Drug-Induced Lupus Erythematosus

 

Patient-related factors:

(1) female gender if taking minocycline

(2) Caucasian

(3) age > 55 years (but drug-induced lupus may occur at any age)

(4) slow acetylator status if taking hydralazine, procainamide or certain other drugs

(5) expression of HLA-DR4 if taking a hydralazine (associated with slow acetylation)

(6) history of drug-induced lupus

 

Drug-related factors:

(1) higher dose of drug (expression often dose-related)

(2) duration of drug use 3 weeks or longer

(3) drug with a nitrogen or sulfur heteroatom in a functional group (aromatic amine, hydrazine, sulfhydryl, thiono-sulfur)