Dr. Mercola November 28 2001 3,370 views
Lupus can occur in several forms, but systemic lupus erythematosus SLE usually referred to simply as lupus -- is the most serious type. It is an incurable disease marked by inflammation and damage to tissue and organs throughout the body, including the joints, skin, heart, kidney and central nervous system.
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissue.
In experiments with blood from SLE patients, researchers at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research in Dallas, Texas, were able to zero in on an immune system protein called interferon-alpha as the possible instigator of the autoimmune response in lupus.
Researchers believe an antagonist to interferon-alpha maybe helpful.
Drugs that suppress the immune system are already part of lupus treatment, but these treatments are "nonspecific" in their targeting of immune function. And while they help many patients, the drugs carry side effects such as nausea, hair loss and an increased risk of infection and cancer. Suppressing only interferon-alpha could potentially provide a more targeted treatment.
Interferon-alpha has previously been found at high levels in the blood of SLE patients. The researchers found that in SLE patients' blood, immune system cells called monocytes develop into large pools of dendritic cells, which are responsible for triggering other immune system cells to attack.
This overly large population of active dendritic cells, may then begin triggering attacks on normal body tissue. And the culprit that appears to induce monocytes to become dendritic cells is interferon-alpha.
The researchers conclude: "unabated induction of dendritic cells by interferon-alpha may drive the autoimmune response in SLE."
Science November 16, 2001;294:1540-1543
SLE is an automimmune disease that is treated very similarly to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While it clearly is clinically different than RA, I have not found it useful to treat them any differently as they seem to respond very well to the same approach.
Manipulating interferon alpha with drugs makes about as much sense as manipulating prostaglandins with antinflammatories. They both would likely work, but would do so at quite a high price. More importantly neither approach would treat the cause of the problem.
The article states the disease is incurable. This is an accurate reflection from a traditional medical perspective, however, nothing could be further from the truth.
SLE, like RA, responds marvelously well to the protocol that I have revised from Dr. Brown's forty years of research with antibiotics. My initial major revision was to incorporate the use of my eating plan into the program. That has produced amazing results in many patients.
However, more recently NST and EFT have allowed us to have high levels of effectiveness with most people with these problems.
Related Articles:
Interferon Therapy Adversely Alters Lipid Levels in Hepatits C Patients Interferon Therapy Can Cause Depression
Interferon Therapy Adversely Alters Lipid Levels in Hepatits C Patients
Interferon Therapy Can Cause Depression