SLE Research Paper

Causes of SLE
The exact cause of lupus SLE is unknown but there are a few factors that can help determine the causes.
Genetics
The disease is not linked to a certain gene, but people with SLE usually have family members with other autoimmune conditions. SLE and other autoimmune disorders usually run in families, but the inheritance pattern is unknown. People can inherit a gene variation that may increase or decrease the risk of SLE, but in most cases they dont inherit the condition itself. In rare cases, SLE can be inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, where both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The risk of developing SLE is, partially through, genetic, but it is a complex genetic diesase with no clear pattern of inheritance. …show more content…
A healthy immune system produces proteins called antibodies and specific cells called lymphocytes that help fight and destroy viruses, bacteria, and other foreign substances that invade the body. In SLE the immune system produces antibodies against the body’s healthy cells and tissues. These antibodies, called autoantibodies, cause inflammation in various parts of the body, and can cause damage to organs and tissues. The most common type of autoantibody that develops in people with SLE is called an antinuclear antibody (ANA) because it reacts with parts of the cell’s nucleus. Scientists dont understand all of the factors that cause inflammation and tissue damage in SLE but are still exploring …show more content…
If the individual is very severe then there can be very harsh problems in the organs causing issues such as: Vasculitis, Endocarditis, Pnemonia and can lead to increased risks of cancer. Lupus symptoms are also symptoms of many other diseases, which makes diagnosis tricky.
Incidence: Statistics of Occurence
For unknown reasons, in many Western countries SLE has become 10 times more common over the past 50 years. Systemic lupus erythematosus is believed to affect 14.6 to 68 per 100,000 people in the United States, with females developing SLE more often than males.
It is most common in younger women; however, 20 percent of SLE cases occur in people over age 50. Since many of the signs and symptoms of SLE resemble many other disorders, diagnosis for SLE itself can be delayed for years, and the condition may never be diagnosed in some affected individuals. Statistics also show that the ratio of women to men who suffer from the disease is 9:1!

Diagnosing

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