Lupus

The Lupus topic includes research on the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the autoimmune disease lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus.

Lupus is a chronic disease that can affect many parts of the body. Lupus occurs when the immune system, which normally protects the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. This attack causes inflammation and, in some cases, permanent tissue damage, which can be widespread, affecting the skin, joints, heart, lung, kidneys, circulating blood cells, and brain. Although anyone can get lupus, women get the disease more often than men. Lupus most often occurs in people between the ages of 15 and 45 years, but lupus can occur in childhood or later in life as well.