Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus

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Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. The inflammation caused by lupus can affect many body systems including the following: joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. Lupus occurs more frequently in women than in men. There are four different types of Lupus that exist. They are Systemic lupus erythematosus, Discoid lupus erythematosus, Drug-induced erythematosus, and Neonatal lupus. The most common and most serious type is Systemic lupus erythematosus. Previously the outlook for people with lupus was grim, but diagnosis and treatment of lupus has improved quite a bit. With proper treatment, most people can lead happy and active lives. This paper will focus on the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

SLE is an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. This leads to long-term (chronic) inflammation. The underlying cause of autoimmune disease is not fully known. It may occur at any age, but appears most often in people between the ages of 10 and 50. African Americans and Asians are affected more often than people from other races. (Makeover, 1997)

The cause of this disease is unknown. Research suggests that the development of autoantibodies may be a result of many different factors including genetic traits, hormonal influences, and immunologic and environmental factors. Environmental influences include exposure to chemicals, ultraviolet light, certain foods, and infections agents. The disease may be exacerbated by hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives, and viral exposure. (Gutierrez, 2007)

Diagnosing SLE can be very difficult...

... middle of paper ...

...ntists have also found that low dose dietary supplementation with omega-3 fish oils could help patients with SLE by decreasing disease activity and possibly decreasing heart disease risk (Shiel Jr, 2011).

Works Cited

(2011, February 14). Retrieved from PubMed Health: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth

Burt, R. K. (2006). Nonmyeloalative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Systemic

Eruthematosus. The Journal of the American Medical Association , 1-9.

Gutierrez, K. J. (2007). Saunders Nursing Survival Guide Pathophysiology. St Louis: Saunders

Elsevier

Makeover, M. (1997). Retrieved from Medline Plus:

ww.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000435.htm

Shiel Jr, W. C. (2011). Retrieved from MedicineNet.com: www.medicinenet.com

Turgeon, M. L. (2009). Immunology and Serology in Laboratory Medicine. St Louis: Mosby Elsevier.

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