Li TH, et al. - Researchers studied 24,504 subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 98,016 age-matched and sex-matched non-SLE controls to assess the risk factors and incidence rate (IR) of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in SLE. They recorded a higher IR of severe HSV infection in the SLE group. They reported the following determinants as independent risk factors for severe HSV infection in SLE cases: prior oral and genital infection, intravenous steroid pulse therapy and a daily oral dose of over 7.5 mg of prednisolone. Age of ≤18 acted as a protective factor.