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.

• 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

Robert G. Lahita, MD, PhD, is Clinical Professor of Medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases at St. Joseph's Health, Wayne, New Jersey. A Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians, and a Master of the American College of Rheumatology, he serves as Associate Editor of Lupus: An International Journal. His research focuses on the immunopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, immune endocrinology, and the hormonal regulation of autoimmunity. He has served as editor of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus across multiple editions and as Senior Editor of the Textbook of Autoimmune Diseases.

George C. Tsokos, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Chief of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr Tsokos has served as President of the Clinical Immunology Society, on the boards of directors for the American College of Rheumatology and the Lupus Foundation of America, member/chair of multiple federal study sections, and editor/member of the editorial boards for top scientific journals. He has received several awards, including a MERIT from NIH, the Lee C. Howley Sr. Prize, the Evelyn V. Hess, the Distinguished Basic Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology, the Lupus Insight Prize from the Lupus Research Alliance, and the Carol Nachman Prize for Rheumatology. He is a Master of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Rheumatology, a member of American Association of Physicians and Fellow of AAAS.