Emergence of systemic lupus erythematosus after initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus infection

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be influenced by human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) infection. It has been suggested that the immunosuppression resulting from HIV infection can prevent the emergence of SLE. There appear to be fewer cases of SLE in the HIV infected population than would be predicted, based on the overall incidence of SLE. We describe a person with HIV infection who developed SLE after the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy.