Lahita's Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Edition 6

Robert G. Lahita

Jul 2021 · Academic Press

About this ebook

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can affect virtually any organ of the body. In lupus, the body's immune system, which normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive, forming antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness or remission. Because its symptoms come and go and mimic those of other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose. There is no single laboratory test that can definitively prove that a person has the complex illness.To date, lupus has no known cause or cure. Early detection and treatment are the key to a better health outcome and can usually lessen the progression and severity of the disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarials, and steroids (such as cortisone and others) are often used to treat lupus. Cytotoxic chemotherapies, like those used in the treatment of cancer, are also used to suppress the immune system in lupus patients. A new edition of this established and well-regarded reference combines basic science with clinical science to provide a translational medicine model. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Sixth Edition, is a useful reference for specialists in the diagnosis and management of patients with SLE, a tool for measurement of clinical activity for pharmaceutical development and basic research of the disease, and a reference work for hospital libraries.

• Completely updated, revised, and expanded with the most comprehensive and accessible reference on SLE for clinicians and scientists
• Full-color presentation throughout the book
• Provides the latest information available on diagnosis and treatment
• Incorporates an international panel of authors who are experts in their fields, with an emphasis on young, cutting-edge scientists and physicians

About the author

Dr. Robert Lahita is Clinical Professor of Medicine at Rutgers University, and the Director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases. He is a fellow of the ACP and the Royal College, and a master of the ACR. Dr. Lahita is the author of more than 16 books and 150 scientific publications in the field of autoimmunity. He is the editor of the standard textbook Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and the Senior Editor of the Textbook of Autoimmunity, and the author of Lupus: Q and A for patients and Autoimmunity in Women.