From medscape:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1065086-overview#1
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE) is a variant of lupus erythematosus that resolves within days to months after withdrawal of the culprit drug in a patient with no underlying immune system dysfunction. DILE can arise months to years after exposure to drugs prescribed to treat various medical conditions (eg, antihypertensives, antibiotics, anticonvulsants). The most common drugs that cause DILE are hydralazine, procainamide, quinidine, isoniazid, diltiazem, and minocycline (see Etiology).
Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (DISCLE) is a DILE variant with predominant skin involvement, temporally related to drug exposure, and resolving after drug discontinuation.
Care must be taken to correctly diagnose the symptoms of DILE and differentiate it from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and DILE should be recognized clinically and serologically for prompt intervention.
Although both SLE and DILE are autoimmune disorders and can have similar clinical and laboratory features (see Table 1 below), research suggests different mechanistic pathways (see Pathophysiology). Guidelines for diagnosis and management of SLE have been established. Although the pathogenesis of DILE is not completely understood, a genetic predisposition may play a role, as has been shown with certain drugs metabolized by acetylation, such as procainamide or hydralazine.
Table 1. Comparison of Findings Between Drug-Induced Lupus Erythematosus and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (open Table in a new window)
A large systematic review of 117 DISCLE cases demonstrated that white women made up the large majority of cases, and the mean age was 58 years. Antihypertensives and antifungals were most frequently the culprits. Time intervals between drug exposure and appearance of DISCLE varied and were drug-class dependent. Most cases resolved within weeks of drug withdrawal. No significant differences in the clinical, histopathological, or immunopathological features between DISCLE and idiopathic SCLE were detected.
Varying mechanisms leading to the formation of self-recognizing antibodies may explain the differential characteristics of drug effects in persons with DILE and those with SLE. For example,Post Edited (ela9050) : 3/16/2015 9:38:57 PM (GMT-6)