Abstract: Objective To explore the clinical and laboratory examination features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with decreased platelet count. Methods Thirty-four SLE patients with decreased platelet count were analyzed for their initial symptoms, clinical manifestations, involvement of the organs and laboratory findings in comparison with 40 randomly selected SLE patients with normal platelet count. Results The SLE patients with decreased platelet count were more likely to develop kidney involvement than those with normal platelet, but the incidence of butterfly erythema was significantly lower in the former patients (P<0.05). Some indices of laboratory examinations, such as CH50, white blood cell reduction, rate of urine protein, thrombocytocrit and platelet distribution width were significantly higher in SLE patients with decreased platelet count than those with normal platelet count. Conclusion The clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in SLE patients with decreased platelet count may differ from those of SLE patients with normal platelet.