Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Key points

• • Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which the body makes antibodies against its own cell components, especially against the cell nucleus.
• • The antibody-antigen complexes deposit in tissues and trigger inflammation (a type III, immune-complex mechanism), and type II antibody-mediated damage also contributes.
• • It mostly affects young women and can involve almost any organ, giving a wide and changing mix of features.
• • Classic features are a butterfly (malar) rash across the cheeks, joint pains, mouth ulcers, sensitivity to sunlight, and kidney inflammation (lupus nephritis).
• • Almost all patients have antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and antibodies to double-stranded DNA are more specific and often correlate with disease activity, especially lupus nephritis.
• • Lupus nephritis is a major cause of illness, and involvement of the blood, heart lining and nervous system is also common.