Long-term follow-up after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence in the serum of antibodies against various organs. Patients with SLE have an increased risk of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. Coronary artery disease is now one of the most important causes of death in patients with SLE [1]. It was reported that middleagedwomenwith SLEwere over 50 timesmore likely to have a myocardial infarction (MI) than women of similar age [2]. Apart from traditional risk factors like smoking and diabetes mellitus, SLE patients have other non-traditional risk factors that predispose them to coronary thrombosis. These include the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies, anti-oxidized low-density lipoprotein antibodies, lipid peroxidation, hyperhomocysteinemia and cumulative SLE activity [3]. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been proven to be an effective treatment for obstructive coronary artery disease. Despite an increased risk of developing coronary artery disease, the safety and long-term efficacy of PCI in this specific patient cohort has not been studied. We present the long-term follow-up (N3 years) data of a cohort of SLE patients who have undergone PCI using bare metal stents or drug-eluting stents.