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Home > Medical Reference > Patient EducationServices at Maryland GeneralA complete list of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at MGH.Systemic lupus erythematosus - Highlights
DescriptionAn in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of lupus.Alternative NamesLupus Highlights:Drug Warning In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept, Myfortic) should not be used during pregnancy as it can cause miscarriages and birth defects. Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Overview SLE is an autoimmune disease that causes a chronic inflammatory condition. The inflammation triggered by SLE affects many organs in the body, including skin, joints, kidneys, lung, and nervous system. Women, especially African-American and Asian women, are at highest risk for developing SLE. Symptoms and Diagnosis Not all patients with SLE experience the same symptoms. The most common symptoms are joint pain, skin rash, and fever. Symptoms can develop slowly or appear suddenly. Many patients with SLE have “flares,” in which symptoms suddenly worsen and then disappear for long periods of time. Diagnosing SLE is complicated because symptoms vary widely and can resemble other conditions. A doctor will base an SLE diagnosis on certain specific criteria including symptom history and the results of blood tests for antinuclear antibodies. Treatment No drug can cure SLE, but many different drugs can help control symptoms and relieve discomfort. The choice of drugs depends on the severity of the condition as well as other factors. Patients with mild SLE may be helped by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while patients with more severe SLE may require corticosteroids or immunosuppressants. Researchers are working to develop new drugs and treatments for SLE. Living with SLE Patients can make lifestyle changes to help cope with SLE. These include:
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ReferencesBernatsky S, Ramsey-Goldman R, Isenberg D, Rahman A, Dooley MA, Sibley J, et al. Hodgkin's lymphoma in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2007 May;46(5):830-2. Epub 2007 Jan 25. Bertsias G, Ioannidis JP, Boletis J, Bombardieri S, Cervera R, Dostal C, et al. EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus. Report of a Task Force of the EULAR Standing Committee for International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutics. Ann Rheum Dis. 2008 Feb;67(2):195-205. Epub 2007 May 15. Crosbie D, Black C, McIntyre L, Royle PL, Thomas S. Dehydroepiandrosterone for systemic lupus erythematosus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Oct 17;(4):CD005114. Crow MK. Collaboration, genetic associations, and lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 2008 Feb 28;358(9):956-61. Epub 2008 Jan 20. D'Cruz DP, Khamashta MA, Hughes GR. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):587-96. Gompel A, Piette JC. Systemic lupus erythematosus and hormone replacement therapy. Menopause Int. 2007 Jun;13(2):65-70. Harel-Meir M, Sherer Y, Shoenfeld Y. Tobacco smoking and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol. 2007 Dec;3(12):707-15. Khamashta MA. Systemic lupus erythematosus and pregnancy. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Aug;20(4):685-94. Klareskog L, Padyukov L, Alfredsson L. Smoking as a trigger for inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2007 Jan;19(1):49-54. Kocis P. Prasterone. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2006 Nov 15;63(22):2201-10. Lane NE. Therapy Insight: osteoporosis and osteonecrosis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol. 2006 Oct;2(10):562-9. Mackillop LH, Germain SJ, Nelson-Piercy C. Systemic lupus erythematosus. BMJ. 2007 Nov 3;335(7626):933-6. Rahman A, Isenberg DA. Systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med. 2008 Feb 28;358(9):929-39. Sabahi R, Anolik JH. B-cell-targeted therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus. Drugs. 2006;66(15):1933-48. Salmon JE, Roman MJ. Subclinical atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Med. 2008 Oct;121(10 Suppl 1):S3-8. Sánchez-Guerrero J, González-Pérez M, Durand-Carbajal M, Lara-Reyes P, Jiménez-Santana L, Romero-Díaz J, et al. Menopause hormonal therapy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Sep;56(9):3070-9. Walsh M, James M, Jayne D, Tonelli M, Manns BJ, Hemmelgarn BR. Mycophenolate mofetil for induction therapy of lupus nephritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007 Sep;2(5):968-75. Epub 2007 Aug 8.
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