Lupus - 4 Different Categories

Lupus is a disease that forces the immune system to attack healthy tissue. It affects about 1.5 million Americans. Ninety percent of these Americans are women. Lupus is a very difficult disease to diagnose because each lupus patient can display different symptoms. The number of symptoms can also vary between patients. There are 4 different categories of lupus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) constitute about 70 percent of the cases of lupus. About 15 percent of the people who have SLE exhibit symptoms during their teen years. This is the most dangerous form of lupus. In this form of lupus, the immune system attacks any system or organ in the body including the joints, skin, lungs, heart, blood, blood vessels, kidney, heart, liver, brain, tendons, pancreas, or nervous system. People between the ages of 15 and 44 are the most likely to develop SLE. The symptoms for SLE can range from being harmless to life threatening. Over 50 percent of all systemic lupus patients in the United States have some degree of brain inflammation. Between 3 and 20 percent suffer strokes. Some of the other more common symptoms are kidney damage, chronic fatigue and painful or swollen joints. Many people with SLE find that the ultraviolet rays from the sun or fluorescent lights make their condition worse. Other symptoms may include an unexplained fever, muscle aches, loss of appetite, hair loss, a butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks (malar), sores in the nose or mouth, serositis, seizures and a lower than normal number of red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells, or platelets. In addition, about 95% of people with SLE have a positive ANA test.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is less harmful than SLE because it only affects the skin. DLE causes disc-shaped, red, raised rashes (discoid) to appear on the cheeks, face, neck, scalp, ears, or other parts of the body. These rashes are much more pronounced than those caused by SLE. They can become scaly and thick and last for years. They can also cause scarring. Only 10 to 15 percent of the lupus cases are DLE cases. Also about 10 percent of DLE patients will develop SLE.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DILE) is caused by the use of certain drugs. Some of these drugs include hydralazine, procainamide, antiseizure medicines and acne medicines. Cocaine use and exposure to mercury can also induce DILE. Men are more likely to develop DILE because they need to use hydralazine and procainamide to treat certain heart conditions. Between 10,000 and 15,000 Americans are diagnosed with DILE every year. The symptoms of DILE are similar to those of SLE, although the symptoms are usually less pronounced. Some symptoms may appear only after taking a certain medication for months or years. Even if you stop taking the medication, the symptoms may not go away until several weeks or months have passed.

Neonatal lupus is a rare condition acquired by babies from mothers who have SLE or another immune system disorder. Scientists believe that the fetus acquires maternal antibodies, which can cause liver problems, skin rash and low blood cell counts. About 50 percent of these babies are born with a permanent heart defect. A pacemaker could be used to help with the heart defect.

About 10 percent of people with lupus also have symptoms characteristic of one or more additional connective tissue diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome.

Michael Russell