Lúpus

Índice

Palavras-Chave: autoimune; doença crónica; Lúpus; Lúpus Eritematoso Sistémico (LES); Lúpus Eritematoso Discóide (LED); anticorpos; antigénios; incidência.
Abstract

Lupus is an autoimmune disease characterized by the inflammation of various tissues of the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when body tissues are targeted by an individual’s own immune system, and lupus is characterized by the abnormal production of antibodies against self-antigens.
Lupus may affect the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys or nervous system. When merely the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus erythematosus. When internal organs are involved, the condition is referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus. The last one has a much higher incidence in relation to the first, affecting a greater number of women.
Although the main cause of lupus isn’t known yet, evidence suggests that immunologic abnormalities, hormonal influences, environmental triggers and the genetic inheritance represent the enabling environment behind this disease.
Treatment of lupus is mainly based on the health condition of the patient and how severe the disease manifests itself. The main difficulty about treating these patients is the lack of a permanent cure. Treatment is based on controlling the symptoms by decreasing inflammation and controlling the level of autoimmune activity in the body. So, even though neither of them has a cure yet, there’s a wide range of drugs able to reduce its diverse symptoms.

A autoimunidade diz respeito a reações através das quais o organismo ataca e destrói as suas próprias células.1
Nas doenças autoimunes, o sistema imunitário produz um ataque que resulta na inflamação e na destruição de células.1 Pode afetar vários tecidos e órgãos do organismo (ex.: lúpus) ou especificamente um órgão (ex.: diabetes).1
O Lúpus Eritematoso Sistémico (LES) é uma doença autoimune, na qual se desenvolvem anticorpos que reagem contra as células normais