What is lupus?

A person's immune system is responsible for defending the body against bacteria, viruses, and other disease-causing germs. The cells of the immune system are what normally prevent us from getting sick. When a person has lupus, though, the good disease-fighting cells have begun to attack their own body cells instead of the germs. This is called an autoimmune response (or attack). Autoimmune responses damage healthy organs like the skin, joints, blood, kidneys, brain, spinal cord, liver and lungs. Lupus affects people differently; some people may have damage to many of their organs while others may only have damage to one or two. Sometimes there is only a little damage, but at other times it can be very serious, making the person very sick. Because lupus is such a complex disease, the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of this condition are sometimes difficult.

This page is maintained by the UTSW rheumatology department.
Email questions to: mohanlab@utsouthwestern.edu
This page was last modified 3/17/03

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