Lupus Care
Overview
Systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as SLE, or simply lupus, is a disease that
is characterized by periodic episodes of inflammation of and damage to the joints,
tendons, other connective tissues, and organs, including the heart, lungs, blood vessels,
brain, kidneys, and skin. The heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain are the organs most
affected. Lupus affects each individual differently and the effects of the illness
range from mild to severe. Lupus can potentially be fatal.
The majority of people who have lupus are young women (late teens to 30s). This may
be due to the fact that estrogen (a female hormone) seems to be associated with lupus.
Lupus affects more African-Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans
than Caucasian Americans. Lupus in children occurs most often at the age of 10 and
older; lupus is rare in children younger than 5 years of age.
The disease is known to have periods of flare-ups and periods of remission (partial
or complete lack of symptoms). Children with lupus can have a large degree of kidney
involvement. The severity of the kidney involvement can alter the survival rate of
patients with lupus. In some cases, kidney damage is so severe it leads to kidney
failure.
Causes
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, which means the body's immune system attacks its
own healthy cells and tissues.
Lupus is considered to be a multifactorial condition. Multifactorial inheritance means
that "many factors" are involved in causing a health problem. The factors are usually
both genetic and environmental, where a combination of genes from both parents, in
addition to unknown environmental factors, produce the trait or condition. Often one
gender (either males or females) is affected more frequently than the other in multifactorial
traits. Multifactorial traits do recur in families because they are partly caused
by genes. Females are affected with lupus three to ten times more often than males.
A group of genes on chromosome 6 codes for the HLA (human leukocyte antigens) antigens
which play a major role in susceptibility and resistance to disease. Specific HLA
antigens influence the development of many common disorders, many that are autoimmune
related and are inherited as multifactorial traits. When a person has the specific
HLA antigen type associated with the disease, they may have a genetic susceptibility
to have the condition and be more apt to develop it. The HLA antigen associated with
lupus is called DR2 and DR3. It is important to understand that a person without these
antigens may also develop lupus, so that HLA antigen testing is not diagnostic or
accurate for prediction of the condition.
Risks
The purpose of the immune system is to keep infectious microorganisms, such as certain
bacteria, viruses, and fungi, out of the body, and to destroy any infectious microorganisms
that do invade the body. The immune system is made up of a complex and vital network
of cells and organs that protect the body from infection.
When the immune system does not function properly, a number of diseases can occur.
Allergies and hypersensitivity to certain substances are considered immune system
disorders. In addition, the immune system plays a role in the rejection process of
transplanted organs or tissue. Other examples of immune disorders include the following:
- autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and anemia
- immunodeficiency diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and severe
combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
