- Systemic lupus erythematosus - symptoms
- Systemic lupus erythematosus is sometimes diagnosed late
- Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus - a longer and better life
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Systemic lupus erythematosus (abbreviated as SLE) is a rare, chronic, multiorgan rheumatic disease of immune origin, which, in the event of involvement and damage to important organs (kidneys, lungs, skin, nervous system, bone marrow, liver, heart) life. How is systemic lupus erythematosus treated and who gets it most often?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)is a rare disease (affects 30-50 people out of 100,000), mainly affects young people between 20 and 40 years of age . Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an immune-mediated rheumatic disease. Its essence is chronic inflammation that damages many tissues and organs. The skin, kidneys and joints are most commonly affected. Chronic inflammation occurs when the immune system produces antibodies against he althy body tissues. The reason for his behavior is not exactly known. We do know, however, that it occurs in people genetically susceptible to SLE with the coexistence of other factors. The hormonal factor is of great importance, because mainly women of childbearing age suffer from disease. Environmental factors are also important, among them infections and smoking are the most important. Certain medications and exposure to sunlight can induce disease.
Systemic lupus erythematosus - symptoms
The inflammatory process can take place in any organ, hence the wide variety of symptoms. Some of them are general in nature, but they are non-specific. Fatigue, low-grade fever, weight loss without a reason, irritability, enlarged lymph nodes, and difficulty concentrating can be attributed to many diseases. The symptoms of individual systems are more characteristic.
Hypersensitivity to sunlight and butterfly-shaped facial erythema (reddening of the cheeks and nose) are typical for the disease. Skin lesions can take the form of hives, red discs. Common symptoms include joint pain and swelling, muscle aches and erosions in the mouth.
If the disease affects the respiratory system, chest pains, dry cough and sometimes also exudative pneumonia also appear.
Involvement of the cardiovascular system may signal symptomsresembling those observed in ischemic heart disease or circulatory failure, such as dyspnoea, peripheral edema. You can see Raynaud's phenomenon, a visible mesh of blood vessels in your arms and legs, that you can see the inflammation of the small vessels. The more dangerous symptoms are thrombosis and inflammation of the larger vessels.
The involvement of the digestive system is evidenced by nausea and abdominal pain.
The disease can attack the nervous system, as evidenced by a wide range of symptoms, from numbness of the limbs, memory impairment, deterioration of mood to (rarely occurring) convulsions, psychosis, muscle paralysis.
A signal of the disease is also miscarriages of unknown causes.
In most patients, inflammation also takes place in the kidneys, initially asymptomatic.
ImportantLupus and maternal plans
SLE can cause miscarriages and premature births. However, women suffering from this disease can report their pregnancy. However, it must be scheduled with the doctor. The best time to procreate is during the period of remission or low disease activity for at least 6 months. A pregnant woman should be cared for by a team composed of an experienced obstetrician familiar with the problems of lupus, a rheumatologist, and a nephrologist in the case of kidney involvement.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is sometimes diagnosed late
The damage caused by SLE is irreversible, so an early diagnosis is essential. When the onset of lupus is rapid, with inflammation of the pericardium, heart muscle or lung, it is generally recognized quickly because the patient is admitted to the hospital for a thorough examination. With moderate severity of symptoms, it happens that the patient goes from doctor to doctor before obtaining a correct diagnosis. Meanwhile, cheap tests - blood counts, ESR and CRP (blood level of acute phase protein) can guide the diagnosis. Leukopenia (decreased number of white blood cells), decreased number of blood platelets, anemia, accelerated ESR with normal CRP raise suspicions of SLE. Whether this is the case is determined by the ANA 1 screening test for antinuclear antibodies. However, they can also occur in he althy people or people with other medical conditions. Therefore, with a positive test result, the next ones (ANA 2 and ANA 3) are carried out, which determine the type of antinuclear antibodies and their titer. In conjunction with the clinical symptoms, the results of these tests allow the diagnosis of the disease.
Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus - a longer and better life
The development of the disease is slowed down by antimalarial drugs. In the period of exacerbations, immunosuppressants and steroids are administered. The latteris kept to a minimum due to their side effects, including they accelerate the development of atherosclerosis, diabetes and osteoporosis. Hope for patients are biological drugs that increase the effectiveness of treatment. So far, there is only one (clinical trials are ongoing on the others). It was registered in Poland two years ago. Due to its cost, it is reserved for the most severe cases.
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