Cause of lupus erythematosus

The exact cause of lupus is still not known. As a hypothesis (assumption) the following is in the room: By a virus infection DNA (the basic substance of our genetic material) is released – which virus it concerns thereby is likewise still unknown. Since there is now too little enzyme quantity, which can break down the DNA and thus remove it, an immune reaction against the DNA occurs. The immune complexes are now deposited in the vessels and cause the inflammation.

Symptoms of lupus erythematosus

With lupus, general complaints such as “lupus” and “lupus” occur. These symptoms, however, are very unspecific and say little about the disease behind them. Therefore further clarification is necessary.

In almost 80% of patients, the joints are also involved, in the sense of an inflammation of several joints. Most patients with lupus therefore visit their doctor for the first time. The joints The pain can come from the tendons or the muscles surrounding the joint.

The inflammation of the muscle tissue occurs in about 40% of patients. The joints that are most frequently affected are the well over half of the patients complain about skin involvement: But besides the skin, the organs can also be affected. A sole involvement of our largest organ, the skin, is also possible, however.

In this case, we speak of cutaneous (cutis = skin) lupus erythematosus. Within the scope of organ involvement, changes in the lungs and heart occur in about 60% of cases. Above all, there are pleural and pericardial effusions.

Here, fluid accumulates around the heart or lungs, restricting the expansion of the respective organ. The heart can no longer pump because the fluid in the pericardium prevents it from expanding. In the lungs, compression reduces the area available for gas exchange.

Kidney involvement plays the most important role among the organ manifestations in lupus erythematosus. In most cases, it is the most important component in mortality and morbidity. It therefore has a significant influence on the mortality and morbidity rate.

If lupus erythematosus is fatal, it is due to kidney failure.These organs must also be given special attention during therapy so that they can function without restriction for as long as possible. If the kidneys fail, our blood is no longer detoxified and our body cells fail to function. In slightly more than half of the cases, neurological changes also occur.

These changes manifest themselves in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. These changes can manifest themselves in many different ways: In addition, characteristic changes in the blood count can be seen. On the one hand there is an increase in the general inflammation parameters, on the other hand, disease-specific findings are groundbreaking.

CRP and BSG, however, only point to some kind of inflammation. The information about which inflammation it is exactly, we can not take from these values. However, it is possible to assess how severe an inflammation is, whether it is progressing or even improving.

Among the more specific findings are for example various antibodies (ANA, APA), which are mostly directed against the body’s own DNA and therefore give us an indication. It should be noted that they may also be elevated in other inflammatory autoimmune diseases (e.g. autoimmune hepatitis). Blood cells are often also present in reduced quantities.

This can affect both the blood platelets (thrombocytopenia) and the white blood cells (leukopenia).

Fever,
Weakness and
Weight loss.
Weight loss,
Hara failure and
Swollen lymph nodes come.
Pain,
Thresholds on and
Patients feel stiff, especially in the morning.
Finger-,
Hand and
Knee joints.
Characteristic is the so-called butterfly erythema. This is a reddening of the skin (erythema) in the form of a butterfly, which spreads over the cheeks and the bridge of the nose.
Furthermore, red papules with scales form on the skin.
The skin is sensitive to light.
Rarely a secondary Raynaud’s syndrome occurs.
Ulcer-like changes and tongue burning also occur in the oral mucosa.
From depressions to
Epileptic seizures up to
Strokes are all conceivable.
CRP value = C- reactive protein,
BSG = blood cell sedimentation rate,

In lupus, general complaints such as fever, weakness and weight loss occur.

It can also cause weight loss, hair loss and swollen lymph nodes. However, these symptoms are very unspecific and say little about the underlying disease. Further clarification is therefore necessary.

In almost 80% of patients, there is also involvement of the joints, in the sense of inflammation of several joints (polyarthritis). Most patients with lupus therefore consult their doctor for the first time. The joints hurt, ring and appear stiff, especially in the morning.

The pain can come from the tendons or the muscles surrounding the joint. The inflammation of the muscle tissue occurs in about 40% of patients. The joints that are most frequently affected are the finger, wrist and knee joints.

Well over half of the patients complain about skin involvement: characteristic is the so-called butterfly erythema. This is a reddening of the skin (erythema) in the form of a butterfly, which spreads over the cheeks and the bridge of the nose. Furthermore, red papules with scales form on the skin.

The skin is sensitive to light. A secondary Raynaud’s syndrome rarely occurs. In the context of organ involvement, changes in the lungs and heart occur in about 60% of cases.

Above all, pleural and pericardial effusions occur. Here, fluid accumulates around the heart or lungs, restricting the expansion of the respective organ. The heart can no longer pump because the fluid in the pericardium prevents it from expanding.

In the lungs, compression reduces the area available for gas exchange. Kidney involvement plays the most important role among the organ manifestations in lupus erythematosus. In most cases, it is the most important component in mortality (disease) and morbidity (mortality).

It therefore has a significant influence on the mortality and morbidity rate. If lupus erythematosus is fatal, it is due to kidney failure. These organs must also be given special attention during therapy so that they can function without restriction for as long as possible.

If the kidneys fail, our blood is no longer detoxified and our body cells fail to function.In slightly more than half of the cases, neurological changes also occur. These changes manifest themselves in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. These changes can manifest themselves in many different ways: From depression to epileptic seizures to strokes, everything is conceivable.

In addition, characteristic changes in the blood count can be seen. On the one hand, there is an increase in the general inflammation parameters (CRP = C-reactive protein, BSG = blood cell sedimentation rate), on the other hand, disease-specific findings are groundbreaking. CRP and BSG, however, only point to some kind of inflammation.

The information about which inflammation it is exactly, we can not take from these values. However, it is possible to assess how severe an inflammation is, whether it is progressing or even improving. Among the more specific findings are for example various antibodies (ANA, APA), which are mostly directed against the body’s own DNA and therefore give us an indication.

It should be noted that they may also be elevated in another inflammatory autoimmune disease (e.g. autoimmune hepatitis). Blood cells are often also present in reduced quantities. This can affect both the blood platelets (thrombocytopenia) and the white blood cells (leukopenia).

As part of organ involvement, changes in the lungs and heart occur in about 60% of cases. Above all, pleural and pericardial effusions occur. Here, fluid accumulates around the heart or lungs, restricting the expansion of the respective organ.

The heart can no longer pump because the fluid in the pericardium prevents it from expanding. In the lungs, compression reduces the area available for gas exchange. Kidney involvement plays the most important role among the organ manifestations in lupus erythematosus.

In most cases, it is the most important component in mortality (disease) and morbidity (mortality). It therefore has a significant influence on the mortality and morbidity rate. If lupus erythematosus is fatal, it is due to kidney failure.

These organs must also be given special attention during therapy so that they can function without restriction for as long as possible. If the kidneys fail, our blood is no longer detoxified and our body cells fail to function. In slightly more than half of the cases, neurological changes also occur.

These changes manifest themselves in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. These changes can manifest themselves in many different ways: From depression to epileptic seizures to strokes, everything is conceivable. In addition, characteristic changes in the blood count can be seen.

On the one hand, there is an increase in the general inflammation parameters (CRP = C-reactive protein, BSG = blood cell sedimentation rate), on the other hand, disease-specific findings are groundbreaking. CRP and BSG, however, only point to some kind of inflammation. The information about which inflammation it is exactly, we can not take from these values.

However, it is possible to assess how severe an inflammation is, whether it is progressing or even improving. Among the more specific findings are for example various antibodies (ANA, APA), which are mostly directed against the body’s own DNA and therefore give us an indication. It should be noted that they may also be elevated in another inflammatory autoimmune disease (e.g. autoimmune hepatitis).

Blood cells are often also present in reduced quantities. This can affect both the blood platelets (thrombocytopenia) and the white blood cells (leukopenia).

Characteristic is the so-called butterfly erythema.
This is a reddening of the skin (erythema) in the form of a butterfly, which spreads over the cheeks and the bridge of the nose.
Furthermore, red papules with scales form on the skin.
The skin is sensitive to light.

Kidney involvement plays the most important role among the organ manifestations in lupus erythematosus. In most cases, it is the most important component in mortality (disease) and morbidity (mortality). It therefore has a significant influence on the mortality and morbidity rate.

If lupus erythematosus is fatal, it is due to kidney failure. These organs must also be given special attention during therapy so that they can function without restriction for as long as possible. If the kidneys fail, our blood is no longer detoxified and our body cells fail to function.

In slightly more than half of the cases, neurological changes also occur.These changes can be seen in the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. These changes can manifest themselves in many different ways: From depression to epileptic seizures to strokes, everything is conceivable. In addition, characteristic changes in the blood count can be seen.