Background
The etiology of lupus erythematosus (LE) is not elucidated, but the impact of non-genetic factors is unquestionable. Smoking as a life style is often linked to development of autoimmune diseases, such as LE. Furthermore, it is generally considered that smokers have higher disease activity compared to nonsmokers and ex-smokers, as well as poorer response to standard therapy. Main aims of our study were to determine differences in disease activity and therapeutic response between smokers and nonsmokers in a group of patients with cutaneous and systemic lupus, as well as to compare smoking prevalence among our patients and general population.