目的：探讨系统性红斑狼疮（ＳＬＥ）患者自身肾上腺皮质功能状态与发病的可能关系。方法：用放射免疫分析（ＲＩＡ）法测定了２６例初发ＳＬＥ患者的血浆皮质醇（ｃｏｒｔｉｓｏｌ）浓度及其昼夜节律的变化，并与１８例正常人对照。结果：观察组皮质醇浓度晨８时较对照组降低，夜２３时及午１６时较对照组升高（Ｐ＜００１，Ｐ＜００２），部分患者峰值出现在１６时或２３时，使皮质醇昼夜节律呈平坦曲线。结论：提示ＳＬＥ患者部分存在肾上腺皮质功能紊乱，体内这一免疫自稳机能失常可能与ＳＬＥ的发病有关 Objective: To investigate the possible relationship between the status of adrenal cortex and the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to determine the changes of plasma cortisol concentration and its circadian rhythm in 26 patients with initial SLE and compared with 18 healthy controls. Results: The cortisol concentration of the observation group was lower than that of the control group at 8 am, and was higher than that of the control group at 23:00 and 16:00 (P <001, P <002), and some patients peaked at 16:00 or 23 When the circadian rhythm of cortisol was flat curve. Conclusion: It is suggested that some adrenocortical disorders exist in patients with SLE, and the autoimmune dysfunction in vivo may be related to the pathogenesis of SLE