"Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a broad term that describes conditions with chronic or recurring immune response and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease" (IBD, 2013, CDC). Ulcerative colitis affects the large colon; Crohn's usually affects the small colon and the beginning portion of the large colon. Regardless in both manifestations of IBD, the body attacks the cells of the intestine, mistaking 'good' things like food and bacteria for dangerous invaders and thus causing chronic inflammation. The effects of IBD can be extremely severe because of the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and subsequent weight loss and malnutrition that they cause. Crohn's is particularly dangerous because it can cause intestinal blockage from severe swelling and scaring. Ulcers can cause fistulas which become infected. Unlike lupus, both forms of IBD can be treated with surgery as well as various anti-inflammatory drugs. "Two-thirds to three-quarters of patients with Crohn's disease will require surgery at some point during their lives" when medicines can no longer control the...
Crohn's can never be fully cured, even with surgery -- in contrast, ulcerative colitis can be 'cured' with the removal of the colon (colectomy) (IBD, 2013, CDC).
CellCept drug for the treatment of kidney complications could be a boon to lupus patients (Chang, 2005). A small study showed that the drug delivered better results than standard chemotherapy, which could cause infertility and other medical problems. A recent experiment compared the effects of CellCept and the older treatment, cyclophosphamide, in patients for 6 months. Those taking CellCept reported fewer side effects. The researchers were led by Dr. Ellen
The most common cause of death is infection due to immunosuppression, a result in turn of medications intended to manage the disease. Chances are worse for men and children than for women. After the age of 60, the disease tends to turn benign. The only marker of prognosis in lupus is the anti-ds DNA antibody test and the most sensitive is the Anti-Smith test (Wikipedia) The standard treatment for lupus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Case Study Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, life-long autoimmune disease that affects multiple tissues and organs in the body (Madhok and Wu, 2009). The primary tissues and organs affected by immune system dysfunction are the joints, kidneys, vessel walls, and skin. SLE is believed to be due to an interaction between genetic factors and environmental triggers. The disease is also more prevalent among women,
Oral Manifestations of Lupus Erythematosus Oral Manifestations of Lupus Oral Manifestations of Lupus Erythematosis Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus for short, is a chronic and generally progressive autoimmune disease affecting many tissues in the body (Lupus Foundation of America, 2015). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015) discriminates between SLE and lupus affecting the skin only (discoid/cutaneous lupus erythematosis) or that caused by medications (temporary). SLE and cutaneous lupus
Anti-Smith antigen is observed in 25% of patients with SLE overall, with 10-20% whites and 30-40% blacks and Asians and Lupus erythematosus (LE) preparation is found in most patients with active SLE. Treating the active phase of the disease without allowing the treatment itself to cause long-term damage to the patient is the major challenge for doctors. As a result of this physicians are now less hesitant to use immunosuppressive
Another caution that exists for people suffering from lupus is to exercise caution before and after receiving dental treatment. Lupus patients could develop serious heart infections from the streptococci that might be released into their bloodstream during routine dental procedures, even bi-annual teeth cleanings (Blau and Schultz, 174). The infection can travel to the heart when the patient has certain other manifestations of lupus, and, if the patient has developed
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