[Procainamide-induced lupus in a patient with bilateral pleural effusion]

A 70-year-old physician was admitted to our hospital because of bilateral pleural effusion and left-sided chest pain on deep inspiration. On admission, the APTT was prolonged and was not corrected with a 1:1 mixture of normal plasma. Results of serological examinations included a positive lupus-anticoagulant test and a positive ANA test at a titer of 1:1,280 in a homogeneous pattern. The patient's age, sex, symptoms, signs, and laboratory results all argued against the diagnosis of SLE except for ANA and lupus anticoagulant test. Because procainamide had been prescribed (250 mg every 6 h) for premature ventricular contractions for eight years before admission, procainamide-induced lupus was suspected. Procainamide was discontinued. Chest pain persisted and tests for c-reactive protein were positive. Prednisolone was administered. Procainamide induced lupus was diagnosed, because anti-histone H 2 A-H 2 B complex antibodies were high by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and IgM-class anti-histone antibodies were found in response to H1, H 2 B and H 2 A-H 2 B complex (immunoblotting), which suggested the drug induced lupus. There are only a few reports of drug induced lupus in which the lupus-anticoagulant test was positive and prednisolone was indicated. The measurements of anti-histone antibodies and of expression of anti-histone antibodies were useful in distinguishing drug-induced lupus from SLE.