Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Risk factors for herpes zoster in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors' conclusion
A reduced level gammaglobulin - with a cut-off of 10.3 g/L - is associated with HZ in SLE
Study context
- Population
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients registered at a referral centre, records analysed at clinical visit July–December 2024 (female 93.8 %, median age 48 [38;56] years)
- Participants
- 224 patients
- Outcome
- Risk factors for HZ
Methodological detailssingle-centre (referral centre), univariable and multivariable logistic regression
- Single-centre (referral centre)
- Univariable and multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Factors independently associated with HZ (multivariable logistic regression)
Gamma globulin level, OR
0.86
95 % CI 0.74–0.98
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Herpes zoster (HZ) prevalence and incidence
- Patients with HZ, n (%)
- 30 (13.4 %)
- Incidence per 100 patient-years
- 0.81
Factors associated with HZ (univariable analysis)
- Gamma globulin level, OR
- 0.81 (95 %CI 0.70-0.92)
- Duration of steroid treatment, OR
- 1.07 (95 % CI 1.03-1.11)
- Immunosuppressive (IS) drugs, OR
- 2.41 (95 % CI 1.06-6.05)
- Duration of IS treatment, OR
- 1.05 (95 % CI 1.00-1.09)
- Biologics, OR
- 3.50 (95 % CI 1.53-7.93)
Discrimination of HZ by gamma globulin level (ROC)
- AUC (0.59-0.82)
- 0.71
- Best-discriminating threshold
- 10.3 g/L
Original publication
Risk factors for herpes zoster in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Semin Arthritis Rheum. Published 22 January 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →