Key gene involved in Lupus identified

The Cheers ^ | 2007-12-03 | NA

[neverdem]

London, Dec 3 (ANI): Researchers have identified a key gene involved in the disease Lupus.

Lupus, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease, which frequently causes skin rash, joint pains and malaise, but can also lead to inflammation of the kidneys and other internal organs...

[neverdem]

Polymorphism at the TNF superfamily gene TNFSF4 confers susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus

[PurpleMan]

A terrible debilitating and fatal disease.

[TommyDale]

I just found out that a lady friend has this.

[Long Island Pete]

A girl I grew up with has it. I sure hope this might lead to a cure.

[CarrotAndStick]

IIRC, the singer, Seal, suffered from this at an early age.

[goldstategop]

Its NOT fatal. I'm one of the rare men who has SLE. Its been in remission for a long time. The symptoms are swollen joints, extreme sensitivity to light and in full blown cases, the wolf like rash on one's face that gave it its name.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[lesser_satan]

Quick, somebody call Dr. House!

[goldstategop]

Its not THAT rare. Practically all inflammatory diseases are autoimmune disorders. They are rarely life threatening.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[neverdem]

Psoriasis is associated with increased beta-defensin genomic copy number

Global variation in copy number in the human genome

It's not simple Mendelian genetics anymore.

[Paradox]

I know someone with the disease. In its severest form, yes, it can be fatal. Many people have the disease and lead otherwise normal lives, its the flare-ups that get them.

Its one of those autoimmune disorders that is hard to diagnose and treat, it looks like alot of the other related disorders (Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc). It does suck to have it, quite a bit.

[PurpleMan]

Corrected: Not fatal but uncurable:

http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/AMH/factsheets/lupus.htm

Systemic lupus erythematosus affects a conservatively estimated 239,000 to possibly over a million people in the United States. [Due to the lack of definitive epidemiological information, the exact number of people with lupus is currently unknown.] About nine out of 10 people who have lupus are women.

Approximately one third of deaths occur among men and women younger than 45. During 1979-1998, the annual number of deaths from lupus rose from 879 to 1,406 and the crude death rate increased from 39 to 52 per million population, with a total of 22,861 deaths reported during this 20-year period.

[P8riot]

A dear friend of ours has Lupus Cerebritis, which is truly a death sentence. We'd dearly love to see her healed of it.

[goldstategop]

I'm the other one of the ten who is a man.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[PurpleMan]

My sister-in-law died from the heart/renal failure associated with it and the wife of a close friend has it. She’s been given 5 years max.

[zerosix]

I have prayed for many years (decades even) for some identifier of this debilitating and often fatal disease which took the life of my childhood friend 16 years ago.

It's victims suffer greatly after years of being misdiagnosed, then are placed in great harm from the various medical treatments that they receive in attempt to alleviate and arrest the condition.

[P8riot]

Will keep you in our prayers