Effects of N-acetylcysteine on systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity and its associated complications: a randomized double-blind clinical trial study.

Backgrounds: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has broadly been used as an anti-oxidant agent in various types of diseases. This study aimed to assess the effect of NAC on the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity and outcome.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial study, 80 SLE patients were recruited that were classified into two groups: 40 patients received NAC (1800 mg/day; 3 times per day with 8-h intervals) for 3 months and 40 patients as the control group received normal therapies.