Lupus Erythematosus

Definition

Lupus erythematosus, or SLE is a chronic disease that can cause inflammation, pain, and tissue damage throughout the body. These are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex system within the body that is designed to fight infectious agents, for example, bacteria, and other foreign invaders.

Lupus can occur at any age, but is most common in women and particularly non-Caucasian women.

There are several types of lupus:

• Discoid lupus affects the skin.
• Drug-induced lupus occurs because of a reaction to drugs.
• Crossover, or overlap, syndromes indicate features that overlap with another rheumatic disease.

Causes

The exact cause is unknown, but it is thought to be autoimmune with the body's immune system incorrectly attacking normal skin. This condition tends to run in families. Females outnumber males with this condition 3 to 1.It appears that a viral or bacterial infection may trigger SLE in vulnerable people. A person may be born with a certain genetic makeup that affects how the immune system functions or makes him or her at risk for lupus.

Exposure to the sun may be a lupus cause of skin lesions or trigger an internal response in susceptible people. Exactly why ultraviolet radiation has this effect isn't well understood, but scientists suspect that sunlight may cause skin cells to express certain proteins on their surface.

Symptoms

Lupus can present itself in very different ways from person to person. About 80% of people develop joint and muscle pain, skin rashes, fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell.

Symptoms and signs which characterized the disseminated form including:

1. subcutaneous nodules,
2. arthritis with synovial hypertrophy of both small and large joints,
3. lymphadenopathy,
4. fever,
5. weight loss,
6. central nervous system involvement.
7. Kidney problems
8. Central nervous system problems
9. Blood problems

Treatment

Antinuclear antibody titer is the primary laboratory test used to diagnose systemic lupus erythematosus. Because of the low prevalence of the disease in primary care populations, the antinuclear antibody titer has a low predictive value in patients without typical clinical symptoms.

Other drugs called immunosuppressives (including azathioprine and cyclophosphamide) may be used to treat disease affecting the major organ systems and to reduce the amount of steroids required. If you are taking this combination of drug therapy you will have regular safety screening tests, eg blood tests.

Regular medical care is essential and it is important to follow your doctor's instructions and don't stop taking your medication without consulting the dinic. A combination of rest and exercise is essential and physiotherapy is often recommended to maintain joint mobility and muscle strength.