Lupus is an autoimmune disease. It inflames:
It causes the immune system to make antibodies that attack the body's healthy cells and tissue.
The cause of lupus is unknown. Researchers believe it may be a combination of:
These risk factors increase your chance of developing lupus. Tell your doctor if you have any of these risk factors:
Symptoms can be mild or very severe. For some people, only part of the body (eg, skin) is affected. For others, many parts are affected. Though symptoms can be chronic, they can flare up and get better on and off.
Common symptoms:
Other symptoms may include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical and family history, and perform a physical exam. The diagnosis is based on symptoms, especially for young women. No single test can determine if you have lupus. But, a number of blood tests for specific antibodies can confirm diagnosis.
Treatment depends on symptoms.
Medicines for mild symptoms:
Medicines for severe symptoms include:
You may consider transplantation and dialysis if you have end-stage kidney failure .
You cannot prevent lupus because the cause is unknown.
To prevent flare-ups of symptoms:
RESOURCES:
Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
http://www.lupus.org/
Lupus Research Institute
http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Lupus Canada
http://www.lupuscanada.org/
Lupus Foundation of Ontario
http://vaxxine.com/lupus/
References:
Beers MH, Fletcher AJ. The Merck Manual of Medical Information . New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc; 1999.
Contreas G, Pardo V, Leclercq B, et al. Sequential therapies for proliferative lupus nephritis. N Engl J Med . 2004;350;971-980.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). EBSCO Natural and Alternative Treatments website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=15topicID=114. Updated September 2009. Accessed December 4, 2009.
Dorner T, Lipsky PE. Immunoglobulin variable-region gene usage in systemic autoimmune diseases. Arthritis Rheum . 2001;44:2715-2727.
Gescuk BD, Davis JC Jr. Novel therapeutic agents for systemic lupus erythematosus. Curr Opin Rheumatol . 2002;14:515.
Hejaili Ff, Moist LM, Clark WF. Treatment of lupus nephritis. Drugs . 2003;63:257-274.
Lupus. National Institute of Arthritis and Muskuloskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health website. Available at: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Lupus/default.asp . Published September 1997. Updated August 2003. Accessed June 26, 2008.
Sherer Y, Gorstein A, Fritzler MJ, Shoenfeld Y. Auto-antibody explosion in systemic lupus erythematosus: more than 100 different antibodies found in SLE patients. Semin Arthritis Rheum . 2004;34:501-537.
Smolen JS. Therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus: a look into the future. Arthritis Res . 2002;4(suppl)3:S25.
Symptoms. Lupus Foundation of America website. Available at: http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_aboutintroduction.aspx?articleid=74&zoneid=9 . Accessed June 26, 2008.
12/4/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: Hartkamp A, Geenen R, Godaert GL, Bijl M, Bijlsma JW, Derksen RH. Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on fatigue and well-being in women with quiescent systemic lupus erythematosus. A randomized controlled trial. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009 Oct 22. [Epub ahead of print]
Last reviewed October 2009 by Jill D. Landis
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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