Objective To investigate the clinical relative risk factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Methods Twenty-seven consecutive SLE patients with VTE in our hospital within January 2008 to February 2012 were enrolled as the thrombosis group, while the control group recruited 27 hospitalized SLE patients without history of thrombosis, whose environmental factors, such as sex, age, body mass index (BMI), and life style, matched to the thrombosis group. Univariate analysis was used to compare the clinical risk factors of venous thrombosis [blood platelet count, immunological function, complement, and whether accompanied with hypoproteinemia, lupus nephritis, renal insufficiency, nephrotic syndrome, renal hypertension, proteinuria, or hematuria], and laboratory indexes [C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, white blood cell count, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen (FIB)] between the two groups. Results The thrombosis group had significant higher incidence of accompanied hypoproteinemia (70.37%), lupus nephritis (74.07%), renal insufficiency (70.37%), nephrotic syndrome (55.56%), renal hypertension (66.67%) than the control group (P＝0.003, 0.000, 0.000, 0.027, 0.029, respectively). CRP [(7.19±9.23)mg/L] and D-dimer [(6.32±5.75)mg/L] levels were both higher in the thrombosis group than in the control group (P＝0.004, 0.000, respectively). Conclusion Hypoproteinemia, lupus nephritis, renal insufficiency nephrotic syndrome and renal hypertension may be the clinical risk factors of VTE in SLE patients. CRP and D-dimer may contribute to the diagnosis.