Pimentel-Quiroz VR, et al. - Via a multi-ethnic, multi-national Latin American systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort, the researchers intended to recognize factors predictive of serious infections (defined as one that needed hospitalization, occurred during hospitalization or led to death) over time in 1,243 subjects with SLE. Out of 1,243, 1,116 were female. The median (interquartile range) age at diagnosis was 27 years and the follow-up time was 47.8 months. The incidence rate of dangerous infections was 3.8 cases per 100 person-years. Antimalarial drug use was protective in nature. However, predictive factors of serious infections were doses of prednisone >15 and ≤60 mg/day and >60 mg/day, use of methylprednisolone pulses, increase in disease activity and damage accrual. Therefore, prednisone doses greater than 15 mg/day, methylprednisolone pulses use, rise in disease activity and damage accrual were predictive of infections, whereas antimalarial use was guarding against them in SLE patients.