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Today, 22 November 2009

› SACP attacks Malema

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Yesterday, 21 November 2009

› SACP attacks Malema

› Match-fixing stuns Europe

› JZ hails Miss World effect

› Henry offers replay

› No armchair ride for Boks

Question

A close friend has SLE. What does this stand for and what is it? I have heard that it can be a life threatening illness. Is this true?

Answer

SLE stands for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. We don't know what causes this disease, but we do know that in it, tissues and cells are damaged by deposits of immune complexes and autoantibodies. This makes it an autoimmune disease, in which the body's immune defences are effectively turning on itself.

SLE mainly affects women, usually within their child bearing years. The disease is not uncommon, and is often more severe in black people than in white.

Because SLE can affect any system in the body, the symptoms are very variable. Classically, a young women may complain of a rash across her nose and upper cheeks, which is aggravated by sun. She may have painful joints and complain of being tired all the time. If she is trying to have children, she has a high rate of miscarriage and still birth. However, I have seen SLE present in so many different ways that it is difficult to give one list of symptoms.

While there is no cure for SLE, modern treatment can effectively control the symptoms, although many of the drugs used have side effects. Some people have a very mild form of the illness without any progressive disease, and can live a relatively normal life with the right management. Because the disease can affect the kidneys, heart and lungs, there can be life-threatening crises. But these are now dealt with very effectively with high doses of steroids and management of the symptoms in hospital.

I found a couple of sites which give simple information on SLE as well. Have a look at lupus on Healthtouch. MedicineNet also has a section on SLE.

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