Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a paradox of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency.

We describe a 26-year-old man with an 8-year history of HIV infection who developed bullous SLE. The patient presented with widespread, tense bullae as well as oral ulcerations. Clinical, laboratory, histological, and cutaneous immunofluorescence findings confirmed the diagnosis of bullous SLE. Given the immunological consequence of HIV infection, the co-occurrence of these two diseases would, theoretically, be unusual. Theories pertaining to the interplay of immunologic mechanisms of the seemingly paradoxical occurrence of autoimmunity in the setting of HIV infection are discussed. PMID: 25244171 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Dermatol Online J - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Dermatol Online J Source Type: research