Dry Eye Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multi-organ autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by widespread inflammation and significant morbidity and mortality. Organ affection includes joint and cutaneous involvement, pulmonary, neurological, and cardiac problems, renal and hematological involvement as well as ocular comorbidities, both posterior but mostly anterior ocular involvement. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate dry eye involvement in lupus patients. A cross-sectional study was performed with the aid of a web-based, anonymous questionnaire that was distributed to both patients diagnosed with lupus erythematosus and to a control group. A total number of 123 patients diagnosed with lupus and 200 responders in the control group completed the questionnaire. Dry eye disease has already been diagnosed in 25 lupus patients (28.9%) compared to 44 (21.9%) individuals in the control group. Dry eye-related symptomatology was reported in 43 (34.60%) patients compared to 57 (28.35%) healthy responders. Upon statistical analysis, more symptoms were reported in the lupus group (p=0.01), in responders diagnosed with dry eye syndrome (p<0.01), and in responders using lubrication (p<0.01) but no association was obtained between the incidence of dry eye symptoms and the presence of the disease. The number of episodes of lupus reactivation since diagnosis was correlated with dry eye syndrome (p=0.15) and the use of lubricating tear drops (p<0.01). Dry eye symptoms and disease are more frequent in lupus patients and further research should be performed to understand the connection between these two disease entities.