Lupus Care

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease, which means your body’s immune system attacks your own cells and tissues. Lupus affects each person differently but the inflammation from SLE can damage the skin, joints, blood cells, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain.

Women are nine times more likely to develop lupus than men. Lupus usually occurs in women of reproductive age (between the ages of about 15 to 45) and often is more severe in Black, Asian, Hispanic and Native American people.

Lupus is hard to diagnose. There is no single test that can tell your doctor you have lupus. This is because lupus has many possible symptoms that could have other causes. And the symptoms can happen slowly over time and be highly variable among different people.

To diagnose lupus, your healthcare provider will do a physical exam and ask about your health history, your family's health history and your symptoms. You will have tests to help confirm the diagnosis.

The tests may include:

Antibody Blood Tests

These tests are done to look for certain kinds of antibodies in your blood. The main test for lupus is the antinuclear antibodies (ANA) test. Most people (97%) with lupus will have a positive ANA test result. Other tests check for other kinds of antibodies.

CBC Blood Test

This test measures the amount of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Other Blood Tests

These may be done to look for other problems such as how certain organs are working. Some look for signs of inflammation in the body. Some tests look for certain kinds of proteins. Other tests check how fast your blood clots.

Urine Tests

These look for blood or protein in the urine, which can mean your kidneys are not working normally.

Biopsies

To look for signs of lupus, biopsies may be done of the skin and kidneys. The test looks for damage to these organs.

Lupus symptoms can appear in many parts of the body. Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each person and may come and go. Some of the common symptoms of lupus are:

• Anemia
• Butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks of the face (malar rash)
• Tiredness 
• Fever
• Hair loss
• Loss of appetite
• Memory problems
• Pale, blue, or red fingers triggered by cold, stress, or illness (Raynaud phenomenon)
• Raised rash on the head, arms, chest, or back
• Rashes caused by sunlight
• Sores in the mouth or nose
• Swollen glands
• Swollen or painful joints 
• Weight loss

The symptoms of lupus can look like other health problems such as arthritis. Just because you have these symptoms does not mean you definitively have lupus. Diagnosis by a lupus specialist is important. The earlier you are diagnosed with lupus the more effectively your disease can be managed.

Lupus may be treated with one or more of the following medications:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve swelling, pain and fever
• Antimalarial medicines to treat fatigue, rashes, joint pain and mouth sores, and to help prevent blood clots.
• Corticosteroids (steroids) to reduce inflammation in the kidneys, lungs, heart or nervous system
• Medicines that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants) to help treat severe symptoms of lupus in the organs
• Biologics to reduce inflammation and the activity of the immune system 

Clinical trials are also being done to test other medicines that may help people with lupus. UC San Diego Health has several clinical trials to advance lupus care.