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Reading summary 4: Health How Autoimmune Diseases Sabotage the Body's Own Defenses Many people are talking about a sickness called lupus, and awareness of other autoimmune diseases is on the rise. Autoimmune diseases affect the immune system – the body’s natural defense for fighting disease. The immune system normally protects the body against foreign materials, such as viruses and bacteria. Autoimmune diseases result from a failure of the body’s own defenses against disease. The immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign materials and its own cells. As a result, the body starts attacking its own organs and tissues. The hands of a lupus patient There are three kinds of lupus. Discoid lupus, which affects only the skin, can be identified by red marks on the face or neck. However, these marks on the skin can also be a sign of another form of lupus called systemic lupus. Systemic lupus can affect almost any organ or organ system in the body. When people talk about lupus, they usually mean the systemic form of the disease. A third kind of lupus is a side effect of certain medications. Drug-induced lupus usually goes away when a patient stops taking medicine. High body temperature and pain in the elbows or knees are common signs of lupus. Other signs are red marks on the skin, feelings of extreme tiredness and lack of iron in the body. At different times, the effects of lupus can be either mild or serious. The signs of the disease can come and go. This makes identifying the disease difficult. There is no laboratory test to tell if someone has lupus. Many people with lupus also suffer from depression. Lupus can also lead to other health problems. Women with lupus are at greater risk of developing heart disease. Between thirty and fifty percent of lupus patients will develop lupus-related kidney disease, known as lupus nephritis. There is currently no cure for lupus. Doctors have developed ways of treating the disease based on the unique needs of each patient. A treatment could include a combination of stress-reduction methods and drugs such as painkillers, steroids and anti-malaria drugs. Supervised exercise training can also improve the quality of life for lupus patients. It has been four decades since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a drug especially for treating lupus. Organizations like the Lupus Foundation of America are working to increase public understanding of the disease. Early recognition of lupus and treatment can often prevent serious health problems. Lupus can be life-threatening if left untreated. Yet, many patients can lead a normal and healthy life if they follow their doctor’s advice. 1 Experts are not sure what causes most attacks of lupus. For systemic lupus, genetics or environmental influences seem to be involved. Lupus has been known to attack members of the same family. However, the genes responsible have yet to be identified. Many scientists believe infections may cause lupus. So can extreme bodily or mental tension, commonly known as stress. Two other suspected causes are antibiotic drugs and hormones produced by the body. In fact, hormones might explain why lupus affects women far more often then men. The Lupus Foundation of America says ninety percent of the people with lupus are women. However, persons of African American, American Indian or Asian ancestry become infected more often than white women. Scientists do not know why women are more at risk than men. They think it might have to do with female hormones like estrogen. Another idea is that it could involve the foreign cells left in a woman’s body after a pregnancy. Lupus is not the only autoimmune disease. At least eighty other such diseases have been identified in which the body attacks its own organs and cells. Some of these diseases attack just one area of the body, like the skin, eyes or muscles, while others affect an organ system or even the whole body. The United States National Institutes of Health says autoimmune diseases currently affect an estimated five to eight percent of the country’s population. That represents between fourteen million and twenty-two million Americans. The physical, emotional and financial cost of autoimmune diseases is huge. Most of those affected are women. While people of all ages are affected, women who are old enough to have children are especially at risk. Some autoimmune diseases, like lupus and scleroderma, are more common in African Americans. Diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type-one diabetes are more common among whites. New drugs are being tested to help treat autoimmune diseases. Some drugs can be a problem because they suppress the immune system. This means the body is less able to defend itself against infections. As a result, the side effects of the drugs can be as dangerous as the disease itself. Newer drugs attempt to suppress only one small part of the immune system, not all of it. For example, drugs like Enbrel and Remicade block tumor necrosis factor. This is a protein that causes inflammation, a physical reaction to infection, injury or other causes. These drugs have been useful in treating autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease. However, the drugs are very costly. The drugs have also been found to increase the risk of cancer. 2 Scientists continue searching for other methods of treatment. Theoretically, stem cells could be used to replace tissues damaged by disease. Stem cells have the ability to grow other cells, such as heart, nerve or brain cells. Medical experts also are working together to improve the way autoimmune diseases are identified and treated. The Johns Hopkins Hospital in the USA brings together experts to improve the study of autoimmune diseases. Government agencies also are working to increase knowledge about these diseases. The United States National Institutes of Health created an autoimmune disease research plan three years ago. Both private and government organizations are working to increase public understanding of lupus and other autoimmune diseases. This can help individuals better understand what to do should they develop a health problem. At the same time, medical researchers continue working to help patients have a better quality of life. Words: 1011; Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 10.7; Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease 41.7 "How Autoimmune Diseases Sabotage the Body's Own Defenses." Science in the News. VOA News, 27 November 2006. 20 November 2006. For an interview (transcript) & downloadable mp3 similar to this article, click on the link below or above. http://tinyurl.com/y64ugf 3