Purpose: Smoking has been involved in the failure of antimalarial therapy in patient with chronic or subacute erythematosus lupus.
Methods: We report a prospective study of 26 patients with chronic, subacute or systemic erythematosus lupus who were treated with antimalarials. Several variables including smoking are compared in responders and non-responders.
Results: Despite the reduced number of patients study that does not permit to allow significative results, it seems that among responders and non-responders, in other respects comparables, there is no difference in the presence of smoking, its quantity or its duration.
Conclusion: The significance of molecular interactions between some components of tobacco and antimalarials have still to be established.