Hello everyone,
Some of you may know this, but in order to complete the MSCLS program here at UAB, all graduate students are required to complete a graduate project. My graduate project is on Systemic Lupus Erythrematosus (SLE), better known as Lupus. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces antibodies to cells within the body leading to widespread inflammation and tissue damage. SLE is characterized by its multiorgan involvement which can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system, as well as other organs of the body. The causes of SLE are unknown but are believed to be linked to genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. SLE is very hard to diagnose because of the multiple factors that play a role in the disease. Because of this, no one test can diagnose or rule out the disease and one would have to present with at least 4 of the 11 typical symptoms to even be considered to have the disease. However, SLE is unpredictable and varies greatly from one individual to the next.
Epidemiological studies on SLE also show marked gender, age, racial, temporal and regional variations as disease triggers. There is higher disease prevalence of SLE in women compared to men with females being affected in 80–90% of the reported cases. Conditions associated with SLE can occur from infancy to old age, with peak occurrence between ages 15 and 40. Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans, are affected more than Caucasians. Although there is a strong familial aggregation, the disease is relatively uncommon and most cases are sporadic within related groups.
So as you can see, there is a lot to be learned about SLE and that is what made it so intriguing to me. With that being said, as I learn more about the disease, I will be passing that information along to you all!!!
Thanks for reading!!!
Good introduction to your topic! Nice picture showing symptoms.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful topic! SLE has become increasingly interesting to the public since so many celebrities have Lupus, such individuals are: Seal and Toni Braxton. SLE is a very hard disease to diagnose, but hopefully with the technological advances, Lupus will soon become easily detectable and diagnosed.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your topic!! As the years go by, I've seen more young adults and kids in their late teens being diagnosed with SLE. In some patients, SLE can be most detrimental than in other patients. For instance, if SLE attacks the kidneys, then a patient might have to be put on dialysis because their kidneys aren't filtering waste products from the blood. My heart goes out to individauls affected by SLE and like Mariel said, through research advancements, one day SLE can soon be detected.
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