What is lupus?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system loses its ability to differentiate between 'bad,' or foreign materials, and its own cells and tissues. The body, essentially, begins to attack itself. Lupus most commonly affects young women between their early 20's and early 30's, and is actually one of the more common rheumatic diseases that we see among women. For most, the disease is mild and affects a few organs only. But for some, lupus can cause grave problems, and can even be life-threatening.
There is a wide range of symptoms associated with this disease. Are some more common than others?
People with lupus most typically have a rash and/or arthritis. One of the signature markings of lupus is a butterfly-shaped rash over the bridge of the nose.
But lupus can affect a number of organs in the body. Any sun-exposed area is often prone to the rash. You can get sores in the mouth, and arthritis, which often resembles rheumatoid arthritis. Pleurisy is another symptom, which is inflammation of the lining of the lungs-it causes chest pain. The most serious cases involve the brain, kidney and sometimes the bone marrow.
Do people always have more than one symptom?
No, they can present just with arthritis or just with rash. There are all different presentations. But far and away the most common presentations would be rash or arthritis, or a combination of both.
Ninety percent of people diagnosed with lupus are women. Why is the disease so much more prevalent among women?
Estrogen seems to play a role. If you remove the ovaries of female mice that are already prone to lupus, you tend to get an earlier onset and worse disease.
