Systemic Lupus Erythematosus And Its Effects On The Body 's Own Immune System

     Lupus is a potentially life threatening disease that effects about 1.5 million Americans. Lupus can effect many different parts of the body. Lupus is a type of autoimmune system disorder in which the body cannot distinguish the difference between foreign antibodies and its own organs. So basically what happens is that the body ends up attacking its own organs thinking they are foreign substances. (The Lupus Foundation of America)

Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause that can affect virtually any part of the body. The medical term for Lupus is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or better known as SLE. With Lupus there is a malfunction in some of the cells of the immune system. "In Lupus, the body overreacts to an unknown stimulus and makes to many antibodies, or proteins directed against body tissue. Thus, Lupus is called an autoimmune disease. ”#

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that attacks women between the ages of 15 and 40. It occurs less often in men than in women. The people affected by lupus vary depending on the country or region. In the US alone, the prevalence rate is highest among Asians of Hawaii, blacks of Caribbean origin, and Native Americans of the Sioux, Arapahoe, and Crow tribes. Lupus is a disease that affects the immune system. We can think of the immune system as an army within the body with hundreds of defenders (known as antibodies). They defend the body from attack by germs and viruses. In lupus, however, the immune system becomes overactive and creates antibodies that attack healthy tissues in the body, such as: the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or simply lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease or immune system malfunction. A person's immune system normally protects the person from viruses, bacteria and other foreign materials. When a person has an autoimmune diseases like lupus, the immune system turns against itself and attacks itself.

Szuda, Stephanie “Health: Life with Lupus.” The Times. 11 Jan 2008. 19 Nov 2010. <Mywebtimes.com>

ANA: test for these autoantibodies (very general); DsDNA (+): Making antibodies to and attacking own DNA; Anti-Sm (+): these antibodies generally interfere with the cells metabolism and are responsible for the symptoms specifically seen with SLE. Here, they are specifically targeted at smooth muscle. CRP elevated: also indicates presence of inflammation, but is more specific towards disease activity; ESR elevated: indirectly indicates the activity of the disease and presence of inflammation; C3 and C4 (decreased): C3 and C4 usually attack the membranes of viruses and bacteria, but in the case of lupus, they attack the own body’s cells. When C3 and C4 suggest the disease is active

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) also referred to lupus dates back to the middle ages and has made an explosion in the past 60 years. Even though more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus and 90% of lupus sufferers are women, between the ages of 15 to 44 (Lupus Research Institute), there is little awareness about the disease. 72% of Americans aged 18-34 have either not heard of the disease or know nothing about it (Medical News Today). However, researchers continue on working to have a better understanding of SLE factors, pathophysiology, current treatment and new prospects for treatment.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disorder that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. A large body of evidence has shown that African Americans experience the disease more severely than other racial-ethnic groups. We performed a systematic review in the PubMed and Medline Databases of articles published between January(?) 2000 – December 2014 to evaluate research focused on SLE in African Americans. Articles were classified according to their level of evidence. Our literature review reported a wide range of adverse outcomes in

Systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, systemic, autoimmune disease. This condition causes the body to mistaken its own tissues and organs as foreign bodies and begins attacking them causing continuing inflammation and pain. (Huether & McCance, 2012) The cause of SLE still remains unknown, but it is possible that is inherited as a complex trait or caused by environmental stimuli. (S) Anyone is at risk for Lupus, but is more common among women than men and is more prevalent of African Americans and Asians. (National Library of Medicine 2010, para 2) This condition can be difficult to diagnose, as a patient must present a number of the recognizable symptoms. Depending on the location that Lupus presents itself in the body, the symptoms

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness (GCLEA) partnered to increase community awareness on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and to further educate lupus patients throughout the underserved region of southwest Georgia. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, the most common form of lupus, is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack needed body tissues (“Lupus,” 2018). This specific type of lupus affects major functions of the body including the brain, lungs, skin, and kidneys. Lupus is commonly difficult to diagnose in humans due to its vague symptoms that mimic the symptoms of other major conditions (‘Lupus,” 2017). Presently, researchers are unaware of the origins

Most know Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) as simply lupus. It is difficult to diagnose and treat but the symptoms can be mentally and physically devastating for any patient. Many may not realize the extent to which a person with SLE is affected on a day to day basis. It is important for healthcare professionals to understand the disease process, including the cause, signs, symptoms, and treatment of SLE. By understanding the aforementioned, healthcare professionals can assist with reporting signs and symptoms to the patient’s doctor to further reach a correct diagnosis, but to provide holistic care to the patient. SLE is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease which means the body’s immune system fallaciously attacks healthy tissues and various organs, in this case, primarily the skin , joints, kidneys, and brain of both men and women.

Makover, M. & Zieve, D. (2011, February 14). Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved July

Lupus can either be mild, or it can be lethal. Unfortunately, SLE is not contained to one part of the body, but rather can affect any part of the body (Lockshin, 2007). In order to help with the diagnosis of lupus, the American College of Rheumatology developed the “Eleven Criteria of Lupus” which contains the typical symptoms of SLE and is used by doctors to diagnose patients. Diagnosis, of course, is not limited to the eleven criteria. The first symptom is called the malar-rash, also known as the butterfly rash, is found on the face spread across the patient’s cheekbones. Second, are discoid patches, third is photosensitivity- a reaction to sunlight that results in skin rashes. Fourth is mouth or nose ulcers, where the mouth ulcers of someone who has lupus, is pain-free and appear at the roof of the mouth instead of on the sides. The fifth symptom is nonerosive

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease which involves several organs, including the skin and the kidneys. A singular cause for SLE is not yet known, but several have been proposed, including a genetic component [1] or the improper removal and/or cleanup of apoptotic and necrotic cells [2]. This causes nuclear antigens, such as double-stranded DNA, the SS-A/RO and SS-B/La proteins and endoplasmatic reticulum fragments [3], to be exposed to the immune system, inducing the production of antibodies. Eventually the antigen-antibody complexes can form plaques in several tissues, causing damage through tissue-specific mechanisms [4]. The damage to the tissues ultimately manifest as symptoms that allow diagnosis of SLE.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of your joints, tissues, and organs. The inflammation presents itself as heat, pain, swelling and redness. SLE is a variable disease that doesn’t take any one particular course; therefore its unpredictability makes it even more devastating. No two people will experience the same disease symptoms or severity level. As S.L.E progresses there will be periods of very subtle to no symptoms at all called remission or an exacerbation of symptoms called flares.