The objective of this study was to assess the incidence and risk factors of 
infections in 200 SLE outpatients. All outpatients with active or inactive SLE 
without infections in the previous month were included. They were assessed every 
3 months. Major infections were those requiring hospitalization and parental 
antibiotic therapy; minor infections required oral or topical therapy. 
Sociodemographic, disease activity using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 
Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), therapy and laboratory variables were 
evaluated. After a follow-up of 22+/-7 months, 65 (32%) patients had infections; 
35% of those were major. The most common sites for infection were urinary (26%), 
skin (23%), systemic (12%), and vaginal (9%). At infection onset, 50 of 65 
patients (77%) had disease activity, with a mean SLEDAI score of 6.1. The 
variables significantly associated with infection in the univariate analyses 
were the presence of disease activity, SLEDAI score, renal activity, prednisone 
dose, and IV cyclophosphamide. The only variable associated with infection in 
the multivariate analyses was a SLEDAI score of 4 or higher. Most infections in 
SLE outpatients were single, minor, non-life threatening, and associated with 
disease activity independently of sociodemographic and therapeutic factors.