Lupus is much more common in women than in men, and it also affects people of Afro-Caribbean, Chinese and Southeast Asian origin more frequently.
What is Lupus?
ystemic lupus erythematosus, commonly referred to as SLE or simply SLE, is a chronic disease which causes inflammation and damage to multiple organs. It is also an autoimmune illness, which means that it occurs because the patientās immune system attacks its own tissues and organs because it mistakenly thinks they are foreign tissues. It is characterized by the presence of antinuclear antibodies in the patientās blood.
There are other, less common types of lupus, such as:
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What Causes Lupus?
The exact cause of lupus is unknown. Genetics might be a contributing factor, since it has been found that lupus can run in families. Other possible triggers are hormonal changes, medications (for example hydralazine, methyldopa, minocycline, d-penicillamine, chlorpromazine, and isoniazid), infections, and environmental factors.
How is Lupus Diagnosed?
Doctors first suspect lupus depending on the patientās symptoms. The clinical presentation of lupus varies greatly from one person to another and the disease goes through periods of remission and relapse, but symptoms can include:
- Arthralgia: painful joints.
- Malar rash: a butterfly-shaped facial rash, which can itch.
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Myalgia: muscular pain.
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Raynaudās phenomenon
- Chest pain
Systemic lupus erythematosus can affect every system in the body, including the heart, digestive system, kidneys, lungs, and nervous system.
Once your doctors suspect lupus as the cause of your symptoms, they will order laboratory tests to determine the presence of antinuclear antibodies in your blood. Patients with lupus often also have another antibody called anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) present in their blood.
The American College of Rheumatology has compiled a list of criteria to help reach a diagnosis in patients who display certain symptoms.
Although there isnāt currently a cure for systemic lupus erythematosus, its symptoms can be managed through a variety of treatments. Since lupus produces different symptoms in each patient, the treatment will be individualized to better treat those specific symptoms.Some patients with mild symptoms can use medications intermittently or not at all.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs such as naproxen, ibuprofen or aspirin are used to treat arthralgia and myalgia. NSAIDs can cause stomach ulcers, so misoprostol is sometimes used in conjunction to prevent this side effect.
Corticosteroids also reduce inflammation, and are often used when the disease causes organ damage. These drugs have multiple and serious side effects, so their use must be closely monitored by the patientās medical team. These side effects can include weight gain, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and infections.
Antimalarial drugssuch as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are used to treat fatigue, joint symptoms, and skin lesions. They also relieve general symptoms and prevent flare-ups. Hydroxychloroquine has shown to be effective in preventing abnormal blood clotting.
Cytotoxic or immunosuppressive drugs, such as cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, methotrexate, and azathioprine are also used to treat severe cases of systemic lupus erythematosus. Cytotoxic drugs can cause severe side effects such as liver and kidney toxicity.
Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody which is infused intravenously and destroys B cells, thus decreasing the severity of lupus and even making it go into remission. Belimumab was approved in 2011 and acts as a B-lymphocyte stimulator or BLyS-specific inhibitor which inhibits the production of B cells.
Plasmapheresis is a process during which blood plasma is removed from the body and filtered before being returned to circulation. This procedure is used to remove antibodies from the patientās blood, and it is performed when there is severe kidney or brain damage. Plasmapheresis also removes cryoglobulins, which are proteins that can cause vasculitis. Patients with severe kidney disease stemming from systemic lupus erythematosus need to receive dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Lupus Clinical Trials
The treatment and prognosis of lupus patients has been greatly improved thanks to clinical trials. Through these trials, new drugs or procedures are tested, helping researchers discover which treatments are most effective, what side effects they can cause, and how to improve patientsā quality of life.
Clinical trials are conducted by universities, hospitals, or organizations under the guidance of a medical team. Participants not only get to help to develop new treatments, but also have access to expert healthcare and new medical developments. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, ask your doctor about trials open in your area or contact hospitals and universities near you.
ClinicalTrials.gov: Recruiting Studies | lupus | Last update posted in the last 300 days Studies found on ClinicalTrials.gov by a search of: Recruiting Studies | lupus | Last update posted in the last 300 days
- COVID-19 CoronaVac in Patients With Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases and HIV/AIDS on February 15, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Conditions: Rheumatic Disease; HIV Infections; AIDS; Safety Issues; Immunogenicity; COVID-19Intervention: Biological: CoronaVacSponsor: University of Sao Paulo General HospitalRecruiting
- Nature of Anifrolumab Impact on Vaccine-Emergent Immunity in SLE on January 27, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Condition: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)Interventions: Drug: Anifrolumab; Drug: Standard of CareSponsors: Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation; NYU Langone Health; Yale University; Piedmont Heart Institute, Inc., Atlanta, GA; Columbia UniversityRecruiting
- A Study Evaluating the Effects of GLPG3970 Given as Oral Treatment for 12 Weeks in Adults With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on January 7, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Condition: Systemic Lupus ErythematosusInterventions: Drug: GLPG3970 film-coated tablet; Drug: Placebo film-coated tabletSponsor: Galapagos NVRecruiting
- Epigenetics in Lupus Nephritis on December 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Conditions: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Lupus NephritisIntervention: Diagnostic Test: Blood samplingSponsors: University of Göttingen; King's College London; Università degli Studi di BresciaRecruiting
- Study of M5049 in CLE and SLE Participants on December 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Conditions: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Cutaneous Lupus ErythematosusInterventions: Drug: M5049; Drug: PlaceboSponsor: Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, GermanyRecruiting
- Evaluating the Safety of Myfortic (Mycophenolate Sodium) in Patients With Lupus Nephritis on November 27, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Condition: Lupus NephritisIntervention: Drug: MyforticSponsor: Novartis PharmaceuticalsRecruiting
- Zanubrutinib in Participants With Active Proliferative Lupus Nephritis on November 25, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Condition: Lupus NephritisInterventions: Drug: Zanubrutinib; Drug: PlaceboSponsor: BeiGeneRecruiting
- National Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Prospective Cohort, Saudi Arabia on October 27, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Condition: SLE (Systemic Lupus)Intervention: Sponsor: King Saud UniversityRecruiting
- Study of Ravulizumab in Proliferative Lupus Nephritis (LN) or Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN) on September 25, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Conditions: Lupus Nephritis; Immunoglobulin A NephropathyInterventions: Drug: Ravulizumab; Drug: Placebo; Other: Background TherapySponsor: Alexion PharmaceuticalsRecruiting
- Serological and Urinary Biomarkers in Latin American Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: GLADEL 2.0 Cohort on September 1, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Condition: Lupus NephritisIntervention: Diagnostic Test: different serum and urine biomarkersSponsor: Liga Panamericana de Asociaciones de Reumatologia (PANLAR)Recruiting
- Monogenic Lupus in Childhood Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on August 31, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Conditions: Monogenic Lupus; Systemic Lupus ErythematosusIntervention: Other: Monogenic lupus screeningSponsor: Children's Hospital of Fudan UniversityRecruiting
- Serologic Profile of SARS CoV2 in COVID-19 Patients With Systemic Diseases on August 28, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Conditions: SARS-CoV Infection; Systemic Disease; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Sjogren's Syndrome; Sarcoidosis; Inflammatory Myopathy; BehƧet Disease; Rheumatoid Arthritis; SpondyloarthritisIntervention: Diagnostic Test: Serological testSponsors: faida agili; UR17DN02 : Autoimmune Diseases Research UnitRecruiting
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus need to rest more when they are going through a flare-up; however, exercise is still necessary to prevent muscle atrophy.
Although there isnāt a specific diet for lupus patients, they should follow a healthy and balanced diet. A patient could require more calories during an active phase of lupus. Decreasing salt intake can help with swelling and edema. Also, patients who take corticosteroids should take calcium and vitamin D supplements to avoid osteopenia and osteoporosis. Although alcohol isnāt contraindicated in lupus, it may interact with the medications a patient is taking; therefore, patients should be made aware of any possible interactions.
In order to prevent dermal lesions, sun exposure should be avoided and sunscreen must be worn to protect the skin. Wearing long sleeve tops and hats is recommended on sunny days.
- Research the disease, its symptoms, complications, and consequences in order to be able to understand what your loved one is going through.
- Make sure there are healthy and balanced meals available to suit the needs of a lupus patient.
- Be understanding when your loved one is going through a flare-up, since they will likely need more rest than usual; offer help, and ask what the other person needs.
- Offer encouragement and support to your loved one.
Match to Lupus Clinical Trials
- Access to cutting-edge treatments
- Latest clinical trials
- Find trials in your area
- Tidy, C. (2015, Feb. 3rd). Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Retrieved from https://patient.info/health/systemic-lupus-erythematosus-leaflet#nav-8
- Wallace, D. (2017, Jan. 10th) Patient education: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Beyond the Basics). Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/systemic-lupus-erythematosus-sle-beyond-the-basics