Systemic lupus erythematosus

A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Patients with lupus have unusual antibodies in their blood that are targeted against their own body tissues. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system. When only the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus. When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Up to 10% of persons with discoid lupus (lupus limited to the skin) eventually develop the systemic form of lupus (SLE). SLE is eight times more common in women than men. The causes of SLE are unknown. However, heredity, viruses, ultraviolet light, and drugs may all play a role. Eleven criteria have been established for the diagnosis of SLE: {{}}Malar (over the cheeks of the face) "butterfly" rash Discoid skin rash: patchy redness that can cause scarring Photosensitivity: skin rash in reaction to sunlight exposure Mucus membrane ulcers: ulceration of the lining of the mouth, nose or throat Arthritis: 2 or more swollen, tender joints of the extremities Pleuritis/pericarditis: inflammation of the lining tissue around the heart or lungs, usually associated with chest pain with breathing Kidney abnormalities: abnormal amounts of urine protein or cellular elements Brain irritation: manifested by seizures (convulsions) and/or psychosis Blood count abnormalities: low counts of white or red blood cells, or platelets Immunologic disorder: abnormal immune tests include anti-DNA or anti-Sm (Smith) antibodies, falsely positive blood test for syphilis, anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, or positive LE prep test Antinuclear antibody: positive ANA antibody testing The treatment of SLE is directed toward decreasing inflammation and/or the level of autoimmune activity. Persons with SLE can help prevent "flares" of

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systemic lupus er·y·the·ma·to·sus -.er-ə-.thē-mə-'tō-səs n an inflammatory connective tissue disease of unknown cause that occurs chiefly in women and that is characterized esp. by fever, skin rash, and arthritis, often by acute hemolytic anemia, by small hemorrhages in the skin and mucous membranes, by inflammation of the pericardium, and in serious cases by involvement of the kidneys and central nervous system called also systemic lupus

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(SLE) a chronic, inflammatory, often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue that proceeds through remissions and relapses; it may be either acute or insidious in onset and is characterized principally by involvement of the skin (cutaneous l. erythematosus), joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes. The etiology is unknown, but it may be a failure of regulatory mechanisms of the autoimmune system, since there are high levels of numerous autoantibodies against nuclear and cytoplasmic cellular components. The condition is marked by a wide variety of abnormalities, including arthritis, arthralgias, nephritis, central nervous system manifestations, pleurisy, pericarditis, leukopenia or thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the presence in the blood of distinctive cells called LE cells.