Smokers with common auto-immune disorder at higher risk for skin damage
MUHC researchers link smoking to skin problems in people with SLE.
As if there weren鈥檛 enough reasons to stop smoking, a team of
researchers at the Research Institute of the 91社区
Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have just found another. A study led by Dr.
Christian A Pineau, Co-Director of the Lupus and Vasculitis clinic
at the MUHC, has clearly linked skin damage and rashes to smoking
in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study was
published in a recent issue of The Journal Of
Rheumatology.
SLE is a long-term autoimmune disorder affecting about one in every
2000 people. About 90 per cent of SLE patients are women, many of
them young. Symptoms are caused by an overactive immune system, and
the disease can cause inflammation and damage in almost any organ
system, including the skin.
鈥淯p to 85 per cent of people with SLE develop skin involvement at
some point,鈥� explains Dr. Pineau. 鈥淥ur study shows that the risk of
skin damage such as permanent hair loss and scarring from skin
inflammation is significantly increased in smokers. So is the rate
of active lupus rash.鈥�
While there is no cure for SLE, symptoms can be treated with drugs.
鈥淗owever, smoking may interfere with the effectiveness of some
medications used to control skin disease in SLE,鈥� says Dr. Sasha
Bernatsky, study co-author and physician in the MUHC鈥檚 Rheumatology
Division. 鈥淭his may be part of the reason why smoking heightens
skin damage in SLE.
鈥淓ven in healthy people, cigarette smoke has both immediate and
long-term effects on the skin, its blood vessels and on hair
follicles,鈥� she adds. 鈥淓xposure to tobacco promotes the release of
cytokines 鈥� substances in the body that increase immune system
activity and inflammation. In fact, some researchers believe that
cigarette smoking is actually a risk factor for SLE in the first
place.鈥�
The study underlines how vital it is for patients with SLE to
remain smoke-free. 鈥淲e already knew these people should not smoke,
due to increased risk of adverse events like heart disease,鈥� Dr.
Pineau says. 鈥淣ow it appears we have another reason to emphasize
smoking cessation. If we can convince people with SLE to stop
smoking, we may be able to help them achieve better disease
control, and better outcomes.鈥�
is a researcher in the
RI-MUHC Musculoskeletal Disorders Axis, as well as co-director of
the Lupus and Vasculitis clinic at the MUHC. He is also the
Rheumatology Program Director and Assistant Professor in the
Department of Medicine at the 91社区 Faculty of
Medicine.
is a researcher in the RI-MUHC
Musculoskeletal Disorders Axis, a physician in the Rheumatology
Division and a member of the Clinical Epidemiology Division at the
MUHC. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Medicine and an Associate Member in the Department of Epidemiology,
Biostatistics and Occupational Health at the 91社区
Faculty of Medicine.
Funding
This study was funded by a grant from Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CHIR), the Fonds de la Recherche en Sant茅 du
Qu茅bec (FRSQ) and the Singer Family Fund for Lupus
Research
Partners
This article was co-authored by Dr. Irina Turchin, Division of
Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, Division
of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine; Division of Clinical
Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Research Institute, Dr. Ann
e. Clarke, Mr. Yvan St-Pierre, Division of Clinical Epidemiology,
Department of Medicine, Research Institute, Division of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Dr. Christian A.
Pineau, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine.
The 91社区 Health Centre (MUHC) is a
comprehensive academic health institution with an international
reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and
teaching. Its partner hospitals are the Montreal Children's
Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria
Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest
Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to
provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the
health care field and to contribute to the development of new
knowledge.
The Research Institute of the 91社区 Health
Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and
health-care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec,
the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, the university
health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at 91社区
University. The institute supports over 600 researchers, nearly
1200 graduate and post-doctoral students and operates more than 300
laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and
clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront
of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked
to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients
benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge.
The Research Institute of the MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de la recherche en sant茅 du Qu茅bec. For further details visit:
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