Special English Weekly Features Summary

The immune system normally helps protect the body against viruses and harmful bacteria.
Autoimmune diseases such as lupus result from a failure of the bodys own defenses.
This week, we talk about a sickness called lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune
diseases affect the immune system the bodys natural defenses 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. So, the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues.

There are three kinds of lupus. Discoid lupus affects only the skin and can be identified by red
marks on the face or neck. These marks on the skin can be a sign of another form of lupus called
systemic lupus. Systemic lupus can affect almost any organ or organ system of the body. When
people talk about lupus, they usually mean the systemic form of the disease.

Some kinds of medicines can cause what is called drug-induced lupus. This form of lupus
usually goes away when the patient stops using the medicines.

High body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are common signs of lupus. Other signs
are red marks on the skin, feelings of extreme tiredness and a 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. Many people with lupus also suffer
from depression.

Experts are not sure what causes lupus. Genetics or environmental influences seem to be
involved. Lupus has been known to attack members of the same family. Yet, the genes
responsible have yet to be identified. Also, many women with lupus give birth to healthy babies.

Many scientists believe infections may cause lupus. So can extreme bodily or mental tension,
commonly known as stress. Two other suspected causes are antibiotic drugs and hormones
produced by the body.

In fact, hormones might explain why lupus affects women far more often than men. The Lupus
Foundation of America says ninety percent of the people with lupus are women. Also, persons of
African American, American Indian or Asian ancestry get infected more often than white
women.

Scientists 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.

There is currently no cure for lupus. Yet doctors have developed ways of treating the disease.
Treatments are based on the condition and needs of each patient. No two individuals have the

exact same problems. A treatment could include a combination of exercise, stress-reduction and
drugs such as painkillers or steroids. Anti-malaria drugs also have been effective.

It has been thirty years since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug
especially for treating lupus. Several companies are working to make drugs that can help lupus
patients. Organizations like the Lupus Foundation of America are working to increase public
understanding of the disease.

Lupus can be life threatening if left untreated. Yet, many patients can lead a normal and healthy
life if they follow their doctors advice. Patients must take their medicines and keep looking for
side effects or any new signs of the disease.

Lupus is not the only autoimmune disease. Doctors and scientists have identified at least eighty
other such diseases in which the body attacks its own organs and cells. Some of the diseases
attack just one area of the body, like the skin, eye or muscles. Others affect an organ system or
even the whole body.

Some of the diseases are well known, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and typeone diabetes. Others are less well known and more difficult to identify.

For example, celiac disease is difficult to identify because the signs of the disease are so
common. Patients may have low iron levels and experience stomach pain. The uncontrolled
expulsion of bodily wastes also is a problem.

Doctors might treat those signs and not know they are caused by celiac disease. Some people
develop celiac disease after eating gluten, a protein found in all wheat products. It is not always
clear that eating something as harmless as wheat can be bad for a persons health. For some
patients, it can be years before the problem is correctly identified.

The United States National Institutes of Health says autoimmune diseases 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. While people of all ages are affected, women who are old enough to have
children are especially at risk. This can have an effect on birth rates.

Also, some 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. Doctors do not yet know why this is true.

New drugs are being tested to help treat autoimmune diseases. Some drugs can be a problem
because they suppress the immune system. This means the body is less able to defend itself
against infections. The side effects of the drugs can end up being as dangerous as the disease
itself.

Newer drugs attempt to suppress only one small part of the immune system, not all of it. For
example, drugs like Enbrel and Remicade block tumor necrosis factor. This is a protein that
causes inflammation, a physical reaction to infection, injury or other causes. These drugs have
been useful in treating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohns
disease. However, the drugs are very costly. Some cost more than ten thousand dollars a year.
The drugs also have also been found to increase the risk of cancer.

Scientists continue searching for other methods of treatment. For example, some scientists hope
to use stem cells to replace tissues damaged by disease. Stem cells have the ability to grow into
other cells, such as heart, nerve or brain cells.

Some medical experts are working together to improve the way autoimmune diseases are
identified and treated. Less than ten years ago, the Johns Hopkins Autoimmune Disease Research
Center was formed in the American state of Maryland. The aim of the Center is to bring together
experts to improve the study of autoimmune diseases.

Private groups like the Center show how important it is for scientists to share information about
such diseases. Because each disease often affects different organs, many experts might be needed
to treat the disorder. Experts need to know about the most recent medical research and
technology. By sharing information about their patients, doctors also can learn from other cases.

Government organizations also are working to increase knowledge about autoimmune diseases.
In the United States, the National Institutes of Health created an autoimmune disease research
plan two years ago. The plan urges agencies from different areas to work together.

Both private and government organizations are working to increase public understanding of such
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
quality of life.