Lupus Flashcards
Characteristics of lupus
Multi-organ autoimmune disease
Affects young women
Responds well to treatment
Why is lupus characterised as a condition with wide clinical presentations?
Autoantibodies directed to self molecules all around the body
What are the symptoms of Lupus?
General fatigue - fever, weight loss
Joint pains
Muscle pains
Rash - facial butterfly
Mouth ulcers
Vascular inflammation
Organ involvement
What is a condition typical in lupus that leads to joint pains?
Symmetrical arthritis in small joints
Rarely causes destructive changes
How common is the facial butterfly amongst lupus patients?
Affects 85% of patients
What are examples of vascular inflammation triggered in lupus patients?
Raynaud’s - loss of circulation when exposed to cold
Vasculitis - more severe and permanent
What are common organs involved in lupus?
Renal damage - glomerulonephritis
CNS problems - neuropathy, stroke, migraine, epilepsy
Lungs
Does genetics play a big role in the susceptibility of the disease?
Yes
HLA class II genes are well established to be source of autoimmunity
What is the progression of the disease?
Patient is healthy in early years
Environmental trigger initiates disease progression
Initially innate IS
Then adaptive IS
Onset of clinical disease is amplified as years progress
Irreversible tissue damage occurs
What is lupus characterised by?
Persistent autoimmune process that is aberrantly controlled and results in autoimmune phenotype
What are the triggers of lupus?
Viral infections
Hormonal changes - pregnancy, contraceptive
Sunlight
Most types of treatments aimed at lupus are educational
TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
Treatments for SLE
Sunblock/ infection/ fertility
Steroids
Antimalarial
Immunosuppressants
Biological agents
Protection of CVD risk
Why do antimalarial drugs improve survival of lupus patients?
Improves long-term survival by impairing organ involvement
What are the biological agents used to treat lupus?
Biological agents are used to target components of the immune system
Rituximab - antibody against CD20 on B cells