Smoking Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Patients Have More Severe Disease, Lower Response to Antimalarials

Intervene as best as you can in any smoker, but by all means do so in patients with CLE.

The effects of smoking on disease severity in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and the impact on the efficacy of antimalarial therapy in these patients remain controversial. These authors performed an analysis of 838 patients with a history of tobacco smoking who were treated for various subtypes of CLE at 30 centers in 14 European countries (although roughly two thirds of the patients were seen at centers in Germany).

Disease severity and activity was measured using the validated Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI). Severity was significantly higher in active smokers and those with smoking history. This finding held true for all subsets of CLE, including acute cutaneous LE, subacute CLE, ch…

Reviewing Author

Jeffrey P. Callen, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board XOMA; Eli Lilly; Celgene

Equity Various trust accounts

Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societies Association of Professors of Dermatology (President-Elect)