Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus refers
to skin lesions that appear on parts of the body exposed to sun.
The lesions do not cause scarring.
Drug-induced lupus is a form of lupus caused by
medications. Many different drugs can cause drug-induced lupus.
Symptoms are similar to those of SLE (arthritis, rash, fever,
and chest pain) and they typically go away completely when the
drug is stopped. The kidneys and brain are rarely involved.
Neonatal lupus is a rare disease that can occur
in newborn babies of women with SLE, Sjögren's syndrome, or no
disease at all. Scientists suspect that neonatal lupus is caused
by autoantibodies in the mother's blood called anti-Ro (SSA) and
anti-La (SSB). Autoantibodies ("auto" means self) are
blood proteins that act against the body's own parts. At birth,
the babies have a skin rash, liver problems, and low blood
counts. These symptoms
gradually go away over several months. In rare instances, babies
with neonatal lupus may have a serious heart problem that slows
down the natural
rhythm of the heart. Neonatal lupus is rare, and most infants of
mothers with SLE are entirely healthy. All women who are
pregnant and known to have anti-Ro (SSA) or anti-La (SSB)
antibodies should be monitored by
echocardiograms (a test that
monitors the heart and surrounding blood
vessels) during the 16th and 30th weeks of pregnancy.
It is important for women with SLE or other related autoimmune
disorders to be under a doctor's care during pregnancy.
Physicians can now identify
mothers at highest risk for complications, allowing for prompt
treatment of the infant at or before birth. SLE can also flare
during pregnancy, and
prompt treatment can keep the mother healthier longer.
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Understanding What Causes Lupus
Lupus is a complex disease, and its cause is unknown. It is
likely that a combination of genetic, environmental, and
possibly hormonal factors work
together to cause the disease. Scientists are making progress in
understanding lupus, as described here and in the "Current
Research" section of this booklet. The fact that lupus can run
in families indicates that its development has a genetic basis.
Recent research suggests that genetics plays an important role;
however, no specific "lupus gene" has been identified yet.
Studies suggest that several different genes may be involved in
determining a person's likelihood of developing the disease,
which tissues and organs are affected, and the severity of
disease. However,
scientists believe that genes alone do not determine who gets
lupus and that other factors also play a role. Some of the
factors scientists are studying include sunlight, stress,
certain drugs, and infectious agents such as viruses.
It is likely that a combination of...factors work together to
cause the disease.
In lupus, the body's immune system does not work as it should. 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 lupus, the
immune system produces
antibodies against the body's healthy cells and tissues. These
antibodies, called autoantibodies, contribute to the
inflammation of various parts of
the body and can cause damage to organs and tissues. The most
common type of autoantibody that develops in people with lupus
is called an antinuclear antibody (ANA) because it reacts with
parts of the cell's nucleus (command center). Doctors and
scientists do not yet understand all of the factors that cause
inflammation and tissue damage in lupus, and researchers are
actively exploring them.
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