RESEARCH - Study on lupus and autoantibodies as an early disease marker

[Guest guest]

Study on Lupus and Autoantibodies as an Early Disease Marker

from the New England Journal of Medicine

October, 2003 -- A new study published in the New England

Journal of Medicine offers a glimmer of hope to the millions of

Americans who suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), as well

as many other autoimmune diseases.

The study, conducted by scientists from the Oklahoma Medical

Research Foundation and University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center,

found that in patients suffering from lupus, autoantibodies (proteins

that the body mistakenly unleashes against its own tissue) are typically

present years before patients are diagnosed with the disease.

Ultimately, the study's findings may help identify what causes lupus and

lead to the development of a way to prevent the chronic autoimmune

disease.

" This groundbreaking research will have broad implications

for the medical community when it comes to identifying and tracking

patients who are at risk for developing lupus and many of the other

autoimmune diseases, " said Dr. Noel Rose, chair of the American

Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Scientific Advisory Board and

professor of Pathology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The s

Hopkins University. " And, more importantly for patients, this could mean

that diagnosis is made earlier on, before major damage to the body

occurs. "

There are more than 80 and another 40 suspected autoimmune

diseases. They all share the same underlying cause -- autoimmunity, the

process by which the body's immune system turns on itself, attacking

healthy organs, tissues and cells. Approximately 50 million Americans

suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases. Of those, nearly 75

percent -- or roughly 30 million -- are women. Autoimmune diseases

include lupus, multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes, rheumatoid

arthritis, scleroderma, Sjogren's disease and Graves' disease.

While many autoimmune diseases can be treated and controlled

if detected in the early stages, patients often have symptoms for

several years before a correct diagnosis is made. This delay in

treatment can cause severe damage to major organs and result in

permanent disability. In fact, the major cause of death in autoimmune

diseases is lack of a prompt, correct diagnosis or misdiagnosis.

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association is the

nation's only organization dedicated to bringing a national focus to

autoimmunity as a disease category and supporting a collaborative

research in order to find better treatments and a cure for all

autoimmune diseases. For more information, please visit www.aarda.org.

http://www.thyroid-info.com/autoimmune/nih.htm

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org