The Case of Fever, Rash, and Positive Ehrlichia Antibodies

    January 2009 in “ Kidney International ”
    Amay Parikh, Arshia Abbasi, Ranita Sharma
    TLDR The woman was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after initial misdiagnosis and improved with proper treatment.
    A 21-year-old woman presented with symptoms including fever, malaise, joint pain, rash, and hair loss. Initial tests showed leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and positive antibodies for various infections, leading to a presumptive treatment for ehrlichiosis. However, her condition worsened, and further tests confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis. Treatment with steroids and mycophenolate mofetil led to remission of SLE and normalization of antibody titers. This case highlighted the potential for false-positive antibody results in SLE patients, particularly for Ehrlichia species.
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