Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Emerging Insights into Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis

The autoimmune illness known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or simply lupus, occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Women who are fertile are 9 times more likely than men to be affected by SLE, whose incidence is 20 to 70 cases per 100,000 people. The disease known as SLE is often misdiagnosed as other disorders because of its varied symptoms. Fever, malaise, joint and muscle soreness, and exhaustion are common initial and persistent symptoms. The condition is more common among women than among men, and symptoms vary depending on sex. Genetic testing in rare cases of SLE/childhood-onset SLE (cSLE) has revealed many genes that promote the development of SLE, particularly cSLE. Clearance deficiency may lead to the development of SLE and other systemic autoimmune diseases. Two possible treatments are available: corticosteroids and antimalarial drugs. Certain types of lupus nephritis require the intermittent use of cytotoxic drugs, such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate. Applying genetically engineered immune cells to patients with critical illness has resulted in positive outcomes.