Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - Tapa dura

"The first edition was published in 1987, and revisions every five or six years have kept this reference up to date. An earlier edition was cited in Brandon-Hill, but, surprisingly, this work is absent from the Medical Library Association's Master Guide.... Like its predecessors, this reference aims for comprehensiveness, and this fifth edition incorporates an abundance of new terms and concepts, key opinions from researchers and clinicians, and, for the first time, ‘...ways to approach, examine and quantify clinical facts from lupus patients.’ Chapters are organized in sections on the basis of disease pathogenesis (e.g. genetics, cellular pathogenesis, humoral pathogenesis, environmental aspects, mechanisms of tissue injury); clinical aspects; anti-phospholipid syndrome; and treatment. Editor Robert G. Lahita (New Jersey Medical School, and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center) is joined for this edition by three associate editors: George Tsokos (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center); Jill P. Buyon (NYU Medical Center); and Takao Koike (Hokkaido U. School of Medicine, Japan)." --SciTech Book News

Systemic lupus erythematosus (S.L.E.), 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 is the key to a better health outcome and can usually lessen the progression and severity of the disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-malarials, and steroids (such as cortisone and others) are often used to treat lupus. Cytotoxic chemotherapies, similar to 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 which combines basic science with clinical science to provide a translational medicine model. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 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.

• Highly illustrated and in full color throughout
• Basic science section expanded to allow the reader to focus on the newest techniques in molecular medicine and its effects on disease expression and treatment
• Clinical aspects and new drugs will be covered in great detail providing a useful reference to both experienced clinicians and physicians with an interest in lupus in their clinical practice