EBOOK Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (S.L.E.), commonly called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can affect virtually any organ of the body. In lupus, the body's immune system, which normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive, forming antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission. Because its symptoms come and go and mimic those of other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose. There is no single laboratory test that can definitively prove that a person has the complex illness. To date, lupus has no known cause or cure. Early detection and treatment is the key to a better health outcome and can usually lessen the progression and severity of the disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-malarials, and steroids (such as cortisone and others) are often used to treat lupus. Cytotoxic chemotherapies, similar to those used in the treatment of cancer, are also used to suppress the immune system in lupus patients. A new edition of this established and well regarded reference which combines basic science with clinical science to provide a translational medicine model. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a useful reference for specialists in the diagnosis and management of patients with SLE, a tool for measurement of clinical activity for pharmaceutical development and basic research of the disease and a reference work for hospital libraries.New to this Edition* Three new Associate Editors, Takao Koike Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Japan, Jill Buyon, New York University School of Medicine, and George Tsokos, Harvard Medical School, bring their expertise to this edition* Basic science section will incorporate much new material about apoptosis, fragments of cells and stimulation of autoimmunity, the lipid raft hypothesis, new material about cytokines and SLE, and the toll-receptor hypotheses of disease. This allows the reader to focus on the newest techniques in molecular medicine and its effects on disease expression and treatment. * Other areas such as overlap with other illnesses and the antiphospholipid aspects of the disease will now be emphasized. * Includes areas that are important to physicians such as the etiopathology of fibromyalgia and other disorders like thyroid disease. * The clinical aspects will be discussed in detail with all new sections on radiology, laboratory testing, clinical presentation, and all of the new and established treatments for the disease. * Special attention to tools for measurement of disease activity and clinical research techniques are added to help both young and veteran investigators. * All new drugs since the last edition and those in development will be highlighted and discussed.* Companion website featuring images* Highly illustrated and in full color throughout* Basic science section expanded to allow the reader to focus on the newest techniques in molecular medicine and its effects on disease expression and treatment* Clinical aspects and new drugs will be covered in great detail providing a useful reference to both experienced clinicians and physicians with an interest in lupus in their clinical practice