Clinical and Experimental Studies on the Hydralazine Syndrome and Its Relationship to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic Vasculitis Resembling Periarteritis Nodosa in the Lupus-Like Syndrome Induced by Hydralazine

“…A substantial number of pa tients with systemic lupus erythematosus develop cuta neous vasculitis [7], Although less common, diffuse cen tral nervous system vasculitis and systemic vasculitis similar to polyarteritis nodosa may occur in these pa tients [8,9], The presence of microscopic hematuria and protein uria in our case suggest that the kidney was involved, probably due to the hydralazine-related lupus. Renal dis ease, diagnosed on the basis of proteinuria, hematuria or impairment of renal function, has been reported in 2-20% of patients with hydralazine-induced systemic lu pus erythematosus [10,11]. Nevertheless, the renal in volvement in most of these reported cases might be due to the presence of genuine systemic lupus erythematosus, progression of earlier hypertensive renal disease or another previous nephropathy [12], In fact, histopatho logic studies of the kidney from patients with hydrala zine-induced lupus syndrome are rare.…”

Dihydralazine Hepatitis: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

“…Its main ad verse effect is the occurrence of a systemic lupus erythematosus-like syndrome [1,2], A less frequent complication of the administra tion of hydralazine is the occurrence of hep atitis [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10], Dihydralazine ( 1,4-dihydrazinophthalazine) differs from hydralazine (1-hydrazinophthalazine) by the addition of a second hy drazine group. This analogue has the same activity as hydralazine and has been widely used in Europe for the last two decades.…”

Animal Models of Vasculitis

“…H&E. x 100. multifocal myocardial fibrosis, isoproterenol being the prime example (44). Hydralazine, in large doses, has also been shown to cause myocardial fibrosis (3), and in early studies was reported to produce a SLE-like syndrome in-patients (1,IS). However, experimental studies failed to reproduce the SLE syndrome in animals (1,14), and a primary vasculitis does not appear to be involved in the production of fibrosis, although vascular lesions may be found in the vicinity of the focal scars.…”