Lupus: help is at hand

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. It causes antibodies and inflammation which attack the body and destroy healthy tissue. It also causes pain and damage to vital organs in some instances. The cause of lupus is unknown but it looks as if it is a genetic disease, compounded by triggers such as stress, injury or illness. Lupus can be very active and then go into periods of remission.

Lupus can have many different symptoms so sometimes it goes unnoticed. It can range in symptoms from rashes, fevers, ulcers in the mouth, hair loss, anaemia and pains in the chest. These symptoms could be mistaken for other illnesses such as vitamin B deficiencies, allergic reactions, thyroid problems and even heart disease. There is no single test for lupus as such and because of the range of symptoms it can creep up on the patient unnoticed.

There are four main types of lupus: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), Drug-induced lupus and Neonatal lupus. The diagnoses of these vary from one disease to the other. An example would be the diagnosis of SLE, which is made taking a history of symptoms, blood tests and other tests on organs such as the kidneys.

Many studies done on the treatment of lupus in the past have concentrated on non-toxic therapy using small synthetic peptides (protein) to create T cells which regulate the illness by locking it. These studies have been carried out on mice.

Not that long ago, there was a study published online in Clinical Immunology, the journal of the Federation of Clinical Immunology. Researchers studied 30 lupus patients, who were treated using low doses of special peptides, and found the peptides blocked and reduced auto-antibodies as well as generated T cells. In this study, 10 active lupus patients participated and 20 were in remission. Fifteen healthy patients were also used in the study as a control and their blood samples were also cultured with these peptides. It was found that the peptides work somewhat like a vaccine because they boosted the immune system of those people with Lupus, which in turn served to put the disease in remission.

Syamal Datta, a professor at North Western University Feinberg School of Medicine says that so far the results show that the therapy above is non-toxic and works like a vaccine. It has been found to have this effect on everybody. Datta has been researching lupus for more than 27 years, particularly investigating the cloning of T cells and immunity.

Until now, steroids and Cytoxan were used in some countries to help treat lupus. These drugs have toxic side effects which can affect fertility and the immune system.

Lupus sufferers can take heart from the ongoing research that is occurring within the medical profession. Healthline has developed a useful infographic which easily explains the effects of lupus. It can be found at http://www.healthline.com/health/lupus/effects-on-body. Also, if you suffer from lupus, there are many natural ways to boost your immunity and you need to discuss these with your natural practitioner. It is wise to work with both a natural therapist and your doctor if you have symptoms that do not have clear explanations. Between the two practitioners, they should be able to put you on the road to being much healthier and, if it is an underlying illness such as lupus, it is less likely to escape detection if you have two practitioners working together in your favour.