Nasal carriage rate of Staphylococcus aureus among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and its correlation with disease relapse

IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with unknown origin. The disease causes a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms in a majority of body organs. Due to several factors like damage to mucosal surfaces and defect in complement systems, these patients are at a great risk of infections with opportunistic pathogens.Aim of the workTo evaluate the nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus, rate of Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and its correlation with relapse in lupus patients.Patients and methodsIn an analytical-descriptive study, 80 patients (65 female and 15 male) with SLE attending the rheumatology clinics of Tabriz University of medical sciences were selected. Nasal mucosa specimens of the patients were taken and incubated in appropriate culture environment. All of the patients were followed for 1 year and the relapse of the disease was evaluated.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 25.35 ± 5.87 years. The mean disease duration was 3.66 ± 2.27 years and the mean SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) was 6.40 ± 2.84. Thirty-nine out of 80 patients (48.75%) were positive for S. aureus in the nasal mucosa. Although no significant difference in SLEDAI was observed between the patients with nasal carriage of S. aureus and those without, the two groups were significantly different in the relapse and complement levels.ConclusionThese results indicate that relapse of SLE in patients having S. aureus in their nasal mucosa is higher than in patients without.