Another autoimmune disease commonly overlapping with SLE is Sj?gren’s syndrome. In the Karolinska cohort, 25% of SLE patients met strict diagnostic criteria for Sj?gren’s syndrome. Dry mouth was reported by 40% of patients, compared with 7% of matched controls. Dry eyes were reported by 32% of SLE patients vs. 7% of controls.
In addition to cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, Sj?gren’s syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome, and autoimmune thyroid disease, other conditions that occur at an increased rate in patients with SLE include malignancies, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, myositis, vasculitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and infections.
"Lupus is an imitator. It’s difficult to say what is comorbidity and what is really a manifestation of lupus," Dr. Svenungsson concluded.
She declared that she has no relevant financial interests.