Antiretroviral medications are the mainstay of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) therapy and some have been in use for over 20 years. To date, there have been no reported cases of antiretroviral therapy (ART) induced drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE). We present a case of a 35-year-old woman who received a combination of emtricitabine, rilpivirine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for HIV treatment. Three years later, she developed an extensive rash and polyarthralgia in her extremities with laboratory findings significant for positive antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) antibody (anti-dsDNA), and anti-histone antibody titers. Her systemic symptoms and rash improved with ART discontinuation. She was later restarted on her original ART due to difficulty in tolerating a different combination therapy. A few months after restarting ART, she developed new dermatologic symptoms, worsening arthralgias, tenderness of the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of the hand, and an increase in anti-dsDNA titers to 286 IU/ml. ART was then discontinued, which led to complete resolution of her symptoms and her anti-dsDNA decreased significantly. She had no further recurrence of symptoms. Awareness of the possibility of ART-induced DILE in the right clinical setting would prompt early recognition and management of this condition.
Keywords: antiretroviral therapy; drug induced lupus erythematosus; hiv treatment; human immunodeficiency virus (hiv).