Table of Contents INTRODUCTION What is lupus? ................................................................................... 6 Who gets lupus? ................................................................................6 What causes lupus? ..........................................................................6 What are the symptoms of lupus? .....................................................6 Living with lupus: what to expect .......................................................7 What about treatment for lupus? .......................................................7 What can I do to live well with lupus? ................................................7 What is happening in research? ........................................................8 Where to find out more about lupus? .................................................8 BLOOD DISORDERS IN LUPUS AND LAB TESTS THAT DETECT THEM Components of the blood...................................................................9 Anemia ..............................................................................................9 Leukopenia ...................................................................................... 10 Thrombocytopenia ........................................................................... 10 Blood Tests ...................................................................................... 10 Antinuclear antibody (ANA) ................................................. 10 Anti-Sm .............................................................................. 10 Anti-nDNA .......................................................................... 10 Anti-Ro and Anti-La ............................................................ 10 Complement ....................................................................... 11 Antiphospholipid antibodies and lupus anticoagulant ......... 11 Test for kidney disease .................................................................... 11 Urinalysis ............................................................................ 11 Serum Creatinine ............................................................... 11 24-hour urine collection ...................................................... 11 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND LUPUS The lupus-heart connection ............................................................. 12 Change what you can ...................................................................... 12 What you can’t change .................................................................... 14 INFECTIONS, IMMUNIZATIONS AND LUPUS Why the increased risk of infections ................................................ 16 Types of Infections .......................................................................... 16 Is it a lupus flare or an infection ....................................................... 16 Preventing infection……………………………………………………. 17 Immunizations……………………………………………………………17 Flu…………………………………………………………………………17 Pneumococcal infections……………………………………………….18 Hemophilus influenza type B and meningococcal vaccine…………18 Hepatitis B vaccine……………………………………………………...18 Gartisil…………………………………………………………………….19 Immunizations and travel……………………………………………….19 INTRODUCTION TO SKIN DISEASES Acute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (ACLE)…………………….20 Characteristics of ACLE……………………….………...20 Causes and long-term effects……………………….….20 Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (SCLE) .………………20 Characteristics of SCLE……………………….………...20 Causes and long-term effects……………………….….20 Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) .…………….………………….21 Characteristics of DLE……………………………………21 Causes and long-term effects…………………………...21 Treatments………………………………………………...21 3