Lupus-the Disease

Lupus the disease is medically termed as SLE, which is the acronym of Systemic Lupus erythematosus. Systemic Lupus eythematosus is a multi system connective tissue disease, characterized by the presence of widespread tissue damage. This damage is caused by the huge number of anti bodies and also due to the circulating immune complexes.

The significance of this disease is in its cultural prevalence. The systemic lupus erythematosus is found all over the world, but it is more common and more frequent in the United States of America and the Far East. American blacks are more affected with prevalence ratio as high as 1in 250 among females.

The onset is more common in the second and the third decades of life and the female to male ratio is 9: 1

Causes:

Though the exact cause remains to be found out, general studies reveal a genetic background for the disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the manifestations of the Auto immune diseases, where there is altered immune response of the body immunity against its own cells.

The genetic link is explained by the prevalence of the disease in monozygotic twins and also in related family members

A defect in the Ts- the suppressor lymphocytes of the immune system seems to be a feature of this disease.

Environmental factors

Exposure to Sunlight can provocate an acute flare up in genetically predisposed individuals.

Certain drugs can also cause SLE.

Hormonal factors:

The disease is more prevalent in women of the fertile age, during pregnancy, during puerperium, in women using hormonal contraceptives, in men with a hormonal and chromosomal aberration, called as Klinefelter syndrome. All these factors point to a strong hormonal link in the causation.

Viral infection:

Viral infection has been proved to induce systemic lupus erythematosus in animals, but not yet been proved in humans.

Types of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus:

* Chronic Discoid lupus Erythematosus

* Drug induced Lupus

* Mixed connective tissue disease

* Progressive Systemic Sclerosis

Clinical features:

* Arthritis, arthalgia and fever are the most common trio of presenting symptoms.

* Skin lesions and painful oral or naso pharyngeal ulcers may also be found but are less common.

* Cardio pulmonary features like pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, pleurisy, fibrosing alveolitis and acute shrinking lung syndrome may also be found.

* Renal disease like neprotic syndrome and renal failure are all the worse kind of effects with a very poor prognosis.

* CNS disturbances like Epilepsy, severe depression, dementia, hemiplegia, chore, neuropathy etc.

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