Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Shawn Hughes

Carrington College

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus, often referred to as: (SLE), lupus, disseminated lupus erythematosus, (LE) syndrome, and Libman-Sacks Disease, is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body uses its antibodies to attack the victim's body tissues and organs. Lupus predominantly occurs in women of childbearing age and can be attributed to sexual hormones, environmental factors, drug exposure, and stress. This paper will allow the reader to gain a solid understanding of this complex pathological condition while also giving insight on its causes, symptoms and treatment.

Understanding Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is chronic, which means it is persistent and recurring. It causes inflammation of connective tissues like cartilage and the lining within blood vessels which ultimately weakens the strength and flexibility within the skeletal system and bodily organs. Many patients with lupus develop kidney disease (nephritis), heart issues within the heart valves and inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart (pericarditis).

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which is a disease within the body that produces antibodies that attack its own tissues, this then leads to the deterioration and possible destruction of those tissues that have been affected by the antibodies. In lupus, the body's immune system doesn't function properly. A normal functioning immune system produces proteins (antibodies) and lymphocyte cells that keep its host healthy by killing viruses, bacteria, and any other foreign invaders within the body.

The reason lupus is unhealthy and also dangerous is because lupus causes the immune system to produce antibodies that attack the body's healthy cells and tissues which causes inflammation of various areas within the body that includes: joints, kidneys, skin, lungs, heart, blood cells, and even the brain among others. Lupus affects women much more significantly than men and typically, its host is normally in their twenties or thirties when symptoms begin to arise. In the United States, African Americans and Asian Americans are much more likely to contract or develop lupus compared to other races within the country.

Causes and Types

The primary cause of lupus is unknown, but researchers are considering several different possibilities including: drug exposure, ethnic mixing, sun exposure, and even tobacco use has been attributed to the condition. For unknown reasons lupus has become ten times more common in western-industrialized areas in the past sixty years. Lupus has been found to run within families, so genetics may play a significant role, but most likely, lupus is a combination of the individuals environmental situation and genetics due to its common prominence within certain locations.

There are four types of the lupus diseases, and although they are all fairly similar in affects to the host, each type of lupus has different treatment and prognosis. The first and most common form of lupus is Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE.) The second type is called discoid lupus erythematosus also called cutaneous lupus and only effects the skin primarily. A person experiencing discoid lupus will have a circular rash on the face, commonly referred to as a "butterfly rash" due to the rash forming around the cheeks and nose in the shape of a butterfly. There have been a few cases of people suffering from discoid lupus, developing systemic lupus following the episode, although it is not very common.

The third type of lupus is called drug-induced lupus and is caused by the development of the disease after taking certain prescriptions that cause the outbreak of lupus. The most common culprits of drug-induced lupus are the medications: hydralazine, procainamide, quinidine, isoniazid, and mynocycline. Not everyone who takes these medications develop a case of lupus and if the person does develop lupus, the symptoms tend to dissipate nearly immediately after they stop taking the previously described medications.

The fourth type of lupus is called neonatal lupus and a very rare form of lupus which affects newborn babies. Neonatal lupus has been attributed to mothers who carry certain antibodies that have been linked to autoimmune diseases and then passing it to the fetus during pregnancy even if the newborn's mother has not previously had any symptoms of lupus.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of lupus are different from patient to patient and can affect different organs and systems within the body. The main symptoms attributed to lupus are: inflammation of the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system, and the hemeopathic system. The initial symptoms include extreme fatigue, unusual pain or discomfort, fever, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Along with the previous symptoms a person can experience unusual feeling within their joints, muscle pain, and weakness. The signs and symptoms can either occur suddenly or develop slowly.

Many people afflicted with lupus develop skin conditions, which includes the "butterfly" rash, calcium deposits (calcinosis), tiny red spots on surface of the skin (petechiae) caused by a lack of cell fragments used in the clotting processes. Damaged blood vessels might also form on the patient, also known as vasculitis within the persons skin.

Diagnosing Lupus

Lupus is a very complex and difficult disease to diagnose due to the fact there are so many symptoms attributed to it that vary between every affected person. The signs and symptoms of lupus can change so dramatically over time which might take doctors months or even years to accurately diagnose this mysterious and complex illness.