World Lupus Day: Early diagnosis can improve quality of life for those with it

Awareness

There is still much to be discovered about lupus, but one of the greatest advances in recent decades is the possibility of making an assertive diagnosis for the disease.

Manaus (AM) – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), or simply lupus, is an inflammatory disease with still unknown causes that causes the body to attack the body’s organs and tissues. The name means “wolf” in Latin, because the French physician Pierre Lazenave, who studied the disease in the 19th century, observed that one of the symptoms, skin wounds, were similar to animal bites. In order to promote greater understanding of the disease, on May 10th, World Lupus Day is celebrated.

There is still much to be discovered about lupus, but one of the greatest advances in recent decades is the possibility of making an assertive diagnosis for the disease, allowing treatments that can alleviate the symptoms in the patient. Among them are skin lesions, pain and swelling, especially in the joints, inflammation and swelling of organs, as well as changes in the blood, such as anemia and inflammation of small blood vessels.

Although there is no specific test for the disease, the so-called “markers”, added to the clinical analysis, can assess the existence of the disease. Patients with suspected SLE can undergo tests that assess the existence of autoantibodies, antibodies that act against the body itself – one of the characteristics of lupus.

“One of the main exams is the so-called Fan Antibodies (Anti-nucleus), which evaluates the presence of autoantibodies from a blood sample of the patient with suspected lupus. There are no prerequisites and the result is ready in five working days”,

explains the scientific advisor of Sabin Diagnosis and Health, biomedical Juliana de Carvalho Bezerra.

Availability of tests may vary by laboratory. In Sabin, there are 12 markers that can help in the diagnosis of the disease. Among them are: Lupus Anticoagulant, Anti-DNA, Anti-Smith and Nucleosomo (Anti-Antibodies). All are tests to detect the presence of autoantibodies in different parts of the organism.

“It is worth mentioning the importance of always consulting the doctor, since part of the markers for the diagnosis of lupus may also be present in other autoimmune diseases or infections. This is the case with lupus anticoagulants, which can occur in patients with HIV/Aids”,

says the scientific adviser.

Another necessary observation, and which also highlights the importance of a doctor in the diagnosis, is the fact that there are two main types of lupus: ‘cutaneous’, which manifests itself only with reddish spots on the skin, mainly in areas with greater sun exposure; and the ‘systemic’, when internal organs are affected.

The correct diagnosis will help in the treatment for the disease, which consists of the use of drugs in its active phase, according to the booklet of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (SBR) on lupus. Medicines regulate the immunological alterations caused by the disease and alleviate the consequences of the disease, such as inflammation, hypertension, fever and other symptoms.

According to Juliana Bezerra, tests may continue to be requested during treatment. The objective is to verify the evolution of the disease. In addition to markers for autoantibodies, routine tests may be requested at this stage.

“The doctor may ask for a blood count to be carried out. [análise do sangue], urine analysis and biochemistry panel, which includes tests to measure glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and other metabolic processes in the body. This information, added to the results of the markers, can give a general picture of the patient’s health”,

affirm.

world lupus day

Celebrated on May 10, World Lupus Day is marked by actions to raise awareness about the disease. The date is sponsored by the World Lupus Federation, a group of patient organizations around the world. In Brazil, the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (SBR) estimates that there are 65,000 people with the disease, most of them women.

*With advisory information

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