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The lupus is an autoimmune disease for which there is still no treatment, but research is increasing and this Wednesday an international team of researchers announced that they have found a genetic cause of Lupus.
To understand their findings, you first have to know what it is. As explained by the Spanish Lupus Federation, it is “an incurable disease of the immune system, a condition in which our body’s defense mechanism begins to attack itself by creating an excess of antibodies in the bloodstream that cause inflammation and they damage joints, muscles, and other organs.”
Thus, the disease affects movement, the skin and causes fatigue. Also, in severe cases, symptoms can be debilitating and complications can be life-threatening.
In Spain, “it is believed that 1% of the population may have Lupus, of which 90% are women, mainly between 15 and 55 years of age, “they point out.
The symptoms
Its symptoms are “very diverse, mimicking other diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Multiple Sclerosis, so it can go unnoticed by family doctors and specialists, thus delaying a diagnosis that can be crucial,” they indicate from the federation.
In between The most commonThey include pain in muscles and joints and extreme fatigue and weakness. However, the federation has drawn up a broader list with those who are frequent:
-Pain in muscles and joints
-Permanent erythema on the cheeks
-Kidney problems
-extreme fatigue and weakness
-Mouth or nasal ulcers
-Risk of spontaneous abortions
-Loss of hair
-Solar erythema
-Depression
-Flu-like symptoms and/or night sweats
-Inflammation of the tissues that cover internal organs with abdominal or chest pain
-Poor blood circulation
Hematological problems such as anemia
-Seizures, mental illness, or other brain problems
-Headaches, migraines
The diagnosis
As a result of this great variety of symptoms, the diagnosis is very complex and usually depends on the rheumatologist although dermatologists, kidney specialists and cardiologists may also participate.
With the advance announced this Wednesday, the researchers hope that this process will be facilitated. Dr. Carmen de Lucas Collantes, co-author of this study, explains that the identification of TLR7 as the cause of Lupus in the case studied has put an end to “a diagnostic odyssey” and provides hope for other patients with Lupus who may benefit from this discovery.
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