[Association of ulcerative colitis and lupus nephropathy--report of two cases]

In the literature, there are descriptions of single cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) coincidence in the same patient. The association of these two autoimmune diseases might be explained by etiopathogenetic factors that they have in common. Recently there have been two patients observed (48 and 31-year old) in whom two and three years (respectively) after diagnosing ulcerative colitis, symptoms of chronic nephropathy showed up (i.e. chronic glomerulonephritis and mild renal failure, respectively). Both of them fulfilled the ACR criteria for SLE. Clinical features and results of laboratory tests allowed the authors to recognize SLE with renal involvement (lupus nephritis in one and nephropathy in the course of secondary antyphospholipid syndrome in the other patient). In both cases drug-induced lupus like syndrome was taken into consideration in differential diagnosis (as both of the patients were previously treated with sulphasalazine) but clinical features and long lasting follow-up after sulphasalazine withdrawal allowed the authors to recognize association of SLE with concomitant nephropathy and UC. In the presented article the problems of differential diagnosis of drug-induced lupus-like syndromes from SLE coexisting with UC are discussed.