Eugene Garfield

Thisessaydiscusseslupus, an imnnme-systemdysfunctionthat affects may, especiallyyoung women, but is recognized by all too few. Its multiple manifestations have been baffling to researchers for over 100years; only rexently have the tools of molecular biology and immunogenetics reveafed substantial new information on its mechanism of autoimmunity. Still, the ukimate trigger for lupus remains a mystery. In this, the first of a two-part overview of lupus, we leek at the history, epidemiolOgy, pathogenesis, and possible etiologies for the disease. Included ate lists of lupus associations and the main joumafs publishing lupus research. In Part 2, the clinicaf symptoms, diagnosis, and standard and ex@trserttaJ treatments for lupus are surveyed, as are the 18 research fronts from 1987 that involve lupus.