Autoimmune effects of medications.

It's common medical knowledge that autoantibodies are associated with the use of certain medications. We memorize the small list of board relevant meds that cause lupus-like symptoms. More have been reported and they're common: minocycline, tnf alpha biologics, aromatase inhibitors, sulfasalazine and statins.

Although many patients develop autoantibodies, only a minority develop autoimmune-like diseases. The development of autoantibodies alone is not sufficient reason to discontinue the medication. Patients treated with medications such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and minocycline who develop an apparent 'flare' of the disease should be evaluated for the possibility of drug-related lupus. Rechallenge with minocycline might be useful in order to confirm a diagnosis of minocyclinerelated lupus. Clinical trial data indicate that patients who receive aromatase inhibitors can develop arthralgias and arthritis, although no data regarding the development of autoantibodies have been reported. Patients with pre-existing thyroid autoantibodies are more likely to develop autoimmune thyroid disease when treated with interferon-α than patients with no pre-existing condition.