PrintOverview of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Lupus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects tissue and organs throughout the body (e.g., joints, kidneys, skin, heart). The most common symptoms of the disease are painful, swollen joints; fatigue; various types of rashes; and fever. The severity of the disease varies from mild to severe, and the symptoms, which also vary from patient to patient, often come and go over time.
The immune system is a complex network of organs, cells (e.g., leukocytes, lymphocytes, phagocytes, B cells, CD8+ cells), and proteins that protects the body from disease and illness. It attacks foreign organisms (e.g., germs), identifies and destroys abnormal cells, and flushes dead and damaged cells out of the body. In autoimmune diseases such as lupus, the immune system attacks normal cells in the body, causing damage and inflammation.
Incidence and Prevalence of Lupus
Lupus is most common in women of childbearing age, but it can occur in men and women of any age. Approximately 90% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are women. SLE occurs about 3 times more often in African American women than Caucasian women and the condition is also more common in Hispanic, Asian, and Native American women.
