There are several aspects of the immune system that play a role in the development of lupus, according to an article published in this week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Studies conducted in New York and around the world show that T- and B-cell function, cytokine production and a host of other immune functions affect a person’s susceptibility to lupus.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body’s immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.

In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies — called “auto-antibodies” (auto means ’self’) — cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body.

“The latest studies give us confidence that we’re on the right track in looking at various aspects of the immune system,” said Dr. Mary Crow who practices at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.  Overall the studies confirm several previously identified genetic associations with lupus (including links to the HLA complex) and also identify several new genetic regions associated with the disease.

The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) estimates between 1.5 - 2 million Americans have a form of lupus, but the actual number may be higher. More than 90 percent of people with lupus are women. Symptoms and diagnosis occur most often when women are in their child-bearing years, between the ages of 15 and 45.