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Reading summary 4: Health

How Autoimmune Diseases Sabotage the Body's Own Defenses


Many people are talking about a sickness called lupus, and awareness of other
autoimmune diseases is on the rise. Autoimmune diseases affect the immune system
the bodys natural defense for fighting disease.
The immune system normally protects the body against foreign materials, such
as viruses and bacteria. Autoimmune diseases result from a failure of the bodys own
defenses against disease. The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference
between foreign materials and its own cells. As a result, the body starts attacking its
own organs and tissues.
There are three kinds of lupus. Discoid lupus, which affects
only the skin, can be identified by red marks on the face or
neck. owever, these marks on the skin can also be a sign of
another form of lupus called systemic lupus. !ystemic lupus
can affect almost any organ or organ system in the body. "hen
people talk about lupus, they usually mean the systemic form of
the disease. A third kind of lupus is a side effect of certain
medications. Drug#induced lupus usually goes away when a
patient stops taking medicine.
igh body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are
common signs of lupus. $ther signs are red marks on the skin, feelings of e%treme
tiredness and lack of iron in the body. At different times, the effects of lupus can be
either mild or serious. The signs of the disease can come and go. This makes
identifying the disease difficult. There is no laboratory test to tell if someone has lupus.
Many people with lupus also suffer from depression. &upus can also lead to other
health problems. "omen with lupus are at greater risk of developing heart disease.
'etween thirty and fifty percent of lupus patients will develop lupus#related kidney
disease, known as lupus nephritis.
There is currently no cure for lupus. Doctors have developed ways of treating
the disease based on the uni(ue needs of each patient. A treatment could include a
combination of stress#reduction methods and drugs such as painkillers, steroids and
anti#malaria drugs. !upervised e%ercise training can also improve the (uality of life for
lupus patients.
)t has been four decades since the *nited !tates +ood and Drug Administration
approved a drug especially for treating lupus. $rgani,ations like the &upus +oundation
of America are working to increase public understanding of the disease. -arly
recognition of lupus and treatment can often prevent serious health problems. &upus
can be life#threatening if left untreated. .et, many patients can lead a normal and
healthy life if they follow their doctors advice.
The hands of a lupus
patient
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-%perts are not sure what causes most attacks of lupus.
+or systemic lupus, genetics or environmental influences seem
to be involved. &upus has been known to attack members of the
same family. owever, the genes responsible have yet to be
identified. Many scientists believe infections may cause lupus.
!o can e%treme bodily or mental tension, commonly known as
stress. Two other suspected causes are antibiotic drugs and
hormones produced by the body.
)n fact, hormones might e%plain why lupus affects women far more often then
men. The &upus +oundation of America says ninety percent of the people with lupus
are women. owever, persons of African American, American )ndian or Asian ancestry
become infected more often than white women. !cientists do not know why women are
more at risk than men. They think it might have to do with female hormones like
estrogen. Another idea is that it could involve the foreign cells left in a womans body
after a pregnancy.
&upus is not the only autoimmune disease. At least eighty other such diseases
have been identified in which the body attacks its own organs and cells. !ome of these
diseases attack /ust one area of the body, like the skin, eyes or muscles, while others
affect an organ system or even the whole body.
The *nited !tates 0ational )nstitutes of ealth says autoimmune diseases
currently affect an estimated five to eight percent of the countrys population. That
represents between fourteen million and twenty#two million Americans.
The physical, emotional and financial cost of autoimmune diseases is huge.
Most of those affected are women. "hile people of all ages are affected, women who
are old enough to have children are especially at risk. !ome autoimmune diseases, like
lupus and scleroderma, are more common in African Americans. Diseases such as
multiple sclerosis and type#one diabetes are more common among whites.
0ew drugs are being tested to help treat autoimmune diseases. !ome drugs can
be a problem because they suppress the immune system. This means the body is less
able to defend itself against infections. As a result, the side effects of the drugs can be
as dangerous as the disease itself.
0ewer drugs attempt to suppress only one small part of the immune system, not
all of it. +or e%ample, drugs like -nbrel and 1emicade block tumor necrosis factor. This
is a protein that causes inflammation, a physical reaction to infection, in/ury or other
causes. These drugs have been useful in treating autoimmune diseases like
rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and 2rohns disease. owever, the drugs are very
costly. The drugs have also been found to increase the risk of cancer.
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!cientists continue searching for other methods of treatment. Theoretically, stem
cells could be used to replace tissues damaged by disease. !tem cells have the ability
to grow other cells, such as heart, nerve or brain cells.
Medical e%perts also are working together to improve the way autoimmune
diseases are identified and treated. The 3ohns opkins ospital in the *!A brings
together e%perts to improve the study of autoimmune diseases. 4overnment agencies
also are working to increase knowledge about these diseases. The *nited !tates
0ational )nstitutes of ealth created an autoimmune disease research plan three years
ago.
'oth private and government organi,ations are working to increase public
understanding of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. This can help individuals
better understand what to do should they develop a health problem. At the same time,
medical researchers continue working to help patients have a better (uality of life.
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For an interview (transcript) & downloadable mp3 similar to this article, click on the link below or above.
http://tinyurl.com/y64ugf

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