Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multifactorial autoimmune disease with an as yet unknown etiopathogenesis. It is widely thought that self-immunization in systemic lupus is driven by defective clearance of dead and dying cells. In lupus patients, large numbers of apoptotic cells accumulate in various tissues including germinal centers. In the present review, we discuss the danger signals relea...

Predominant interstitial nephritis is a rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Only seven cases have been reported in the literature. Owing to the rarity of this entity, the natural history of predominant interstitial nephritis in lupus has not been adequately recorded and an appropriate therapeutic approach has yet to be defined. In this report we present the case of a 25 year old...

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a complex autoimmune disease with multisystem involvement with varied presentation. Autoimmune adrenal disease, on the other hand, can be associated with other autoimmune diseases. Adrenal insufficiency as a presenting feature of Systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare occurrence. We hereby report a case of a 20 year-old female who presented to us in an acute hypo...

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was first reported for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in 1997. The procedure has since been performed worldwide including in Europe, in Brazil, and in China. A National Institutes of Health-funded phase III clinical trial of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for refractory systemic lupus erythematosus is anticipated to begin in 2003. Enc...

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune progressive connective tissue disease characterized by multiple organ involvement and a highly variable clinical course. The aim of this study was to predict the health-related quality of life of women with lupus based on perceived stress, fear of perceptual body image and psychological resilience. Methods: This descriptive-analytical...

The lupus anticoagulant, an acquired circulating serum y-globulin, prolongs all phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. Recent associations of the lupus anticoagulant and focal cerebral and/or ocular ischemia have been made. We present 5 cases of lupus anticoagulant-associated cerebrovascular ischemia and review all reported cases for the first time. Clinical spectra, cerebral angiographic fi...

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disorder defined as association of vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy complications with presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin and anti-β2 glycoprotein I). It is the most common cause of acquired thrombophilia, and can occur as an independent entity or in relation with other diseases, especially systemic lupus ...

Few patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have features of verrucous (hypertrophic) lupus erythematosus. A 29-year-old Caucasian woman with a 7-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus developed painful verrucous plaques on the nose. Erythematous, raised, indurated, hyperkeratotic plaques localized on the dorsa of the distal parts of the toes and over the interphalangeal joints of her ...

BACKGROUND Central nervous system involvement is common in systemic lupus erythematosus but hydrocephalus, especially in children, is rare. CASE CHARACTERISTICS 6-year-old girl with systemic lupus erythematosus with nephritis, on treatment for four months prior to the presentation with features of raised intracranial pressure. OBSERVATION Computed tomography revealed communicating hydroceph...

Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease associated with mild valvular regurgitation. However, there have been no detailed reports of infective endocarditis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Here, we describe a case of a 55-year-old woman without any cardiac abnormalities who was diagnosed with lupus nephritis by renal biopsy; she contracted infective endocarditis whil...