Lupus, what you need to know about this autoimmune disease

For some specialists, lupus is one of the maximum characteristic autoimmune diseases that exist as it can cause any kind of symptomatology and affect and manifest itself in any part of the body: from the joints to the skin, through the kidneys or the airways. nervous system. This diversity also makes it "more complex to diagnose," as Ricard Cervera, head of the autoimmune disease service at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ​​points out .

The explanation of the name is more precise: due to some very characteristic reddish spots that appear on the skin most of the time and are reminiscent of a wolf bite. In addition, these lesions are associated with internal organ involvement, which is why the official name is systemic lupus erythematosus. Another peculiarity of lupus is that one gender is affected much more than another: we are talking about ten women for every man. It is a disease that is also usually diagnosed during the reproductive period, which, according to Dr. Cervera "one of the problems with this disease is the influence of female sex hormones". In Spain, nine out of 10,000 residents could be affected .

In addition to the noticeable markings, lupus patients also have very pronounced anti-DNA antibodies, but this is not always the case and sometimes doctors do not let them know that they are dealing with the patient's ailment. . After all, lupus is characterized by its high genetic component: "It is a disease in which other family members often also suffer from this disease or other autoimmune diseases," says Dr. Cervera .

 

As for the fight, the basic but basic thing is to dodge the sun, hormonal treatments, and stress. Second, doctors prescribe hydroxychloroquine, a remedy used to treat malaria or malaria that has positive effects on the immune system; It is currently "the basis of treatment for virtually all patients," says Dr. Cervera. Finally, the doctor warns that if there is an outbreak, injury, or damage, "treatment must be stricter" using immunosuppressive drugs such as the famous corticosteroids .

 

According to the doctor, the greatest challenge with lupus is "to better understand the origins of this disease in order to obtain better medication", although great strides have been made in the introduction of so-called biological or biological treatments in recent years. Therapies, state-of-the-art drugs that specifically target molecules of this immune system and represent a new therapeutic approach for very severe cases. However, doctors are ambitious and strive not only to treat as many people as possible effectively, but also to "achieve treatment that will definitively cure the disease," although there is still a long way to go .

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