Hello everyone,
These week’s research for my graduate topic was on the different types of lupus. There are four types of lupus Systemic lupus, Cutaneous Lupus, Drug-induced Lupus, and Neonatal Lupus.
First we will start with Systemic lupus Erythematosus. Just to add to the information presented last week, systemic lupus is the most common form of lupus, and is what most people mean when they refer to "lupus." Systemic lupus can be mild or severe and invole multiple organ systems.. Some of the more serious complications involving major organ systems are:
- inflammation of the kidneys (lupus nephritis), which can affect the body’s ability to filter waste from the blood and can be so damaging that dialysis or kidney transplant may be needed
- an increase in blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
- inflammation of the nervous system and brain, which can cause memory problems, confusion, headaches, and strokes
- inflammation in the brain’s blood vessels, which can cause high fevers, seizures, behavioral changes,
- hardening of the arteries (coronary artery disease), which is a buildup of deposits on coronary artery walls that can lead to a heart attack
Approximately 70 percent of lupus cases are systemic. In about half of these cases, a major organ will be affected.
Next is Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus. Cutaneous refers to the skin, and this form of lupus is limited to the skin. Although there are many types of rashes and lesions caused by cutaneous lupus, the most common rash is raised, scaly and red, but not itchy. It is commonly known as a discoid rash, because the areas of rash are shaped like disks, or circles. Another common example of cutaneous lupus is a rash over the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose, known as the butterfly rash. Other rashes or sores may appear on the face, neck, scalp, other areas of the skin that are exposed to sunlight or fluorescent light, or in the mouth, nose, or vagina. Hair loss and changes in the pigment, or color, of the skin are also symptoms of cutaneous lupus.
Approximately 10 percent of people who have cutaneous lupus will develop systemic lupus. However, it is likely that these people already had systemic lupus, with the skin rash as their main symptom.
Also there is Drug-induced Lupus Erythematosus. Drug-induced lupus is a lupus-like disease caused by certain prescription drugs. The symptoms of drug-induced lupus are similar to those of systemic lupus, but only rarely will any major organs be affected.
The drugs most commonly connected with drug-induced lupus are hydralazine which is used to treat high blood pressure or hypertension, procainamide which is used to treat irregular heart rhythms, and isoniazid which is used to treat tuberculosis. Drug-induced lupus is more common in men because they are given these drugs more often; however, not everyone who takes these drugs will develop drug-induced lupus. The lupus-like symptoms usually disappear within six months after these medications are stopped.
Last but not least there is Neonatal lupus. Before this week, I had never heard of it. Neonatal Lupus is a rare condition that affects infants of women who have lupus and is caused by antibodies from the mother crossing the placenta and acting upon the infant in the womb. At birth, the infant may have a skin rash, liver problems, or low blood cell counts, but these symptoms disappear completely after several months with no lasting effects. Some infants with neonatal lupus can also have a serious heart defect. With proper testing, physicians can now identify most at-risk mothers, and the infant can be treated at or before birth. Most infants of mothers with lupus are entirely healthy.
As always, as I learn more about the disease, I will be passing that information along to you all!!!
Also, for those of you who are interested, I’ve included a link to a journal article on Neonatal Lupus. I founf it very interesting so check it out.
Until next time, read, comment, and post!
Thanks for reading!!!
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy3.lhl.uab.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e6c9ee31-81ca-4b19-8cbf-1253f5fe35c9%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=111
Thanks for reading!!!
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy3.lhl.uab.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e6c9ee31-81ca-4b19-8cbf-1253f5fe35c9%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=111
Very good discussion. The lady who used to cut my hair had lupus and started having problems with depression. Another lady that I knew with lupus had seizures. I had not realized before knowing them that the CNS problems can really interfere with normal activities. The neonatal lupus is interesting- the link didn't work though :(
ReplyDeleteI think I fixed the link. It should work now. Thanks for letting me know!!! :)
DeleteI never knew about neonatal lupus! It makes me wonder a little after all of the discussions in blood bank about trans-placental antibodies causing HDN how these antibodies would not (in most cases) cause the death of the fetus. Thanks for the thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI always think it is best for expecting mothers to inform doctors of their medical history. Patients need to be aware how significant their medical history is to the physician. Lupus is an example of how important medical history is relevant to health of neonates.
ReplyDeleteI have never put much thought into Drug-induced Lupus Erythematosus before until I read this and decided to look into it. I did not realize how common something like that could happen nor to the extent of medications that could possibly cause this form of Lupus. One that caught my attention was Infliximab which is used to treat different forms of autoimmune disorders, particularly Rheumatoid Arthritis. My mom has a mild form of RA and I am almost positive she takes this medication so I will definitely be watching out for the symptoms you listed! thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of lupus, I generally think of the severe symptoms of SLE or the butterfly rash of CLE. I did not know much about the drug hydralazine causing Drug-induced lupus, so I decided to learn more. I found an alternative called Nifedipine which is also used for treatment of hypertension. The drug comes with many of the same side effects as hydralazine such as headache and nausea, but lupus was not listed. As I kept reading, I found something else interesting. Nifedipine is actually also used in the treatment of hypertension in those who already have SLE.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting and I definitely learned something new. I was not aware of Neonatal Lupus. As Arnel stated because of conditions such as this one, it is critical that the patient inform the physicians of their medical history. Knowing what the mother has is vital in protecting the neonate during pregnancy. I did do a little research and the Ro or La antibodies are present in women who have SLE. They did say that it is still not known if the symptoms are caused by the quantity of antibodies or the quality of the antibodies passed from the mother to the neonate. My main question is how is it that many women who have Lupus can have an unaffected child and others do have an affected child. It is still something to research further and I am interested in seeing what medicine discovers next.
ReplyDelete