May 13, 2016.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease linked to a dysfunction of the immune system. It is manifested by ulcers appearing on the face and neck, which leave nasty scars. How to avoid it?
A rash on the face
Lupus affects 30,000 people in France and millions of people around the world. It is a disease characterized by a rash on the face, hence its name of lupus, the wolf in Latin. The disease can also cause kidney problems, with complications that can lead to kidney failure.
It is also aboutan autoimmune disease, that is, the immune system of people affected by lupus goes into disarray and turns against the body’s own cells.
The causes of this evil are numerous and that is why it is difficult to guard against it. However, 90% of the disease occurs in women of childbearing age, which suggests that hormonal factors are involved. Health authorities have also detected genetic predisposition in 10% of patients.
Furthermore, the consumption of certain medications, such as anticonvulsants, beta-blockers or antibiotics, as well as too much exposure to UV rays or tobacco can cause lupus. But this disease is not contagious.
Towards a therapeutic vaccine?
Lupus can be treated with antibiotics which help reduce inflammation and pain, but there is no cure for this disease. “ About fifty drugs are being tested in humans to improve the management of lupus », Indicated Prof. Jean Sibilia, head of the National Reference Center for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases at Strasbourg University Hospital, on the occasion of World Lupus Day, May 10.
A therapeutic vaccine is also undergoing clinical trial, but the results of these studies are not expected before 2017. At La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, other researchers rely on vitamin D to fight the disease. Here again, clinical trials will be necessary before any prescription.
Read also: Diseases of the immune system
