Lupus Flashcards
What is lupus?
a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs
What is systemic autoimmune disease?
a group of disorders where your immune system malfunctions and attacks your own tissues.
Give an example of systemic autoimmune disease
An example of a systemic autoimmune disease is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) where the autoantibodies can attack any organ in the body
What is the acronym for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?
SLE
What causes lupus?
It’s likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment.
What are some potential triggers for lupus?
Sunlight, infections, medications
What risk factors increase the likelihood of lupus?
Gender, age and ethnicity Female between 15 and 45, in the US African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans, in NZ Maori and Pacific Islanders
Why is lupus difficult to diagnose?
its signs and symptoms often mimic those of other ailments
What is the most distinctive sign of lupus?
A facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks
How often does the most distinctive sign of lupus — a facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks occur in cases of lupus?
A facial rash that resembles the wings of a butterfly unfolding across both cheeks occurs in many but not all cases of lupus.
While there is no cure for lupus, what can help control symptoms?
treatments
According to New Scientist (7 April 2018), what may trigger the autoimmune disease lupus?
Bacteria.
_______ occurs when a person’s immune system starts to attack their own body, and can cause skin rashes and damage to the kidneys and other organs. In the early stages, a protein that normally protects body tissues, called Ro60, seems to be targeted.
lupus
Lupus occurs when a person’s immune system starts to attack their own body, and can cause skin rashes and damage to the kidneys and other organs. In the early stages, a ________ that normally protects body tissues, called Ro60, seems to be targeted.
protein
Lupus occurs when a person’s immune system starts to attack their own body, and can cause skin rashes and damage to the kidneys and other organs. In the early stages, a protein that normally protects ________, called R060, seems to be targeted
body tissues
Martin Kriegal at ___________ and his colleagues looked at bacteria from the skin, nose and guts of people with and without lupus and found that they make proteins similar to R060. In people with lupus these proteins were found to be triggering an immune response.
When the team gave these bacteria to mice that had been stripped of their natural bacteria, they showed a similar immune response and early signs of kidney failure.
Yale University
Martin Kriegal at Yale University and his colleagues looked at bacteria from the skin, nose and guts of people with and without lupus and found that they make _________ similar to R060. In people with lupus these proteins were found to be triggering an immune response.
When the team gave these bacteria to mice that had been stripped of their natural bacteria, they showed a similar immune response and early signs of kidney failure.
proteins
Kriegal thinks genes might predispose some people to ________, but the disorder is triggered and sustained by bacteria. The findings could lead to new treatments. “Genes are fixed, but microbes are really malleable,” he says.
lupus
Kriegal thinks genes might predispose some people to lupus, but the disorder is triggered and sustained by bacteria. The findings could lead to new treatments. “Genes are fixed, but ________ are really malleable,” he says.
microbes
