Systemic lupus erythematosus Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a long-lasting autoimmune disease that can affect almost any part of the body. Under normal circumstances, the body is protected by the immune system. Once the immune system identifies harmful foreign substances, the body's usual defense would be for the immune system to abolish the antigens. In lupus patients, the immune system does not have the ability to differentiate normal antibodies from intruders. Lupus occurs when the body overreacts to a foreign stimulus and creates too many antibodies against its own body tissues. Lupus is therefore considered an autoimmune disease. SLE causes inflammation of joints, organs and tissues. Inflammation is identified by pain, warmth, swelling and redness. There are many signs and symptoms of SLE. Lupus symptoms tend to vary from person to person and range from mild to severe, usually affecting people between the ages of 15 and 50. The most commonly reported indicators are joint discomfort, rash, stiffness and fever. Patients with lupus may experience symptoms that worsen suddenly or appear unexpectedly. Most patients with SLE experience flashes, the signs of which appear quickly and worsen, then subside for a long time. However, the most common complaints include lethargy, painful or inflamed joints, fever, rashes and kidney problems. Butterfly rash, a red rash, is a visible sign of lupus and can appear on the face and spread to the cheeks and nose. Protection against UV rays is very important because many suffer from photosensitivity. Other symptoms include brittle hair, mouth ulcers, chest pain, anemia, dry eyes, bruising, menstrual irregularities and paleness. Patients in the middle of the article......studies, the etiology of lupus is possibly linked to heredity, environmental (natural) factors, drug-induced lupus and is linked to women in childbearing age and menstruation.ReferencesGordon, Caroline and WolfgangL. Raw. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Oxford: Clinical Pub., 2012. Print. Urowitz, Murray B. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2005. Print. Crosbie, D. (2009). Dehydroepinadrosterone for systemic lupus erythematosus. Cochran Database of Systemic.Acton, Ashton. Systemic lupus erythematosus: new perspectives for health professionals. 2013. Atlanta. Scholarly Editions, 2013. Print. Seward, Tomas I. Advances in systemic lupus erythematosus research. New York: Nova Biomedical, 2007. Print. Schur, Peter H. The clinical management of systemic lupus erythematosus. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, 1996. Print.