Hyperviscosity syndrome in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

The occurrence of hyperviscosity syndrome in a 22-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus was reported. Ultracentrifuge study of her serum revealed the presence of intermediate complexes with sedimentation coefficients of 10.9S to 14.2S. The complexes were shown to consist of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A and considered to be mainly responsible for the increased serum viscosity. This unusual protein abnormality responded remarkably well to the treatment with prednisolone.