Contemporary concepts for the clinical and laboratory evaluation of systemic lupus erythematosus and "lupus-like" syndromes.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a nonorgan-specific autoimmune disease which affects multiple organ systems and is multifactorial in etiology. SLE is the prototypic systemic rheumatic disease with immune dysregulation characterized by (1) polyclonal activation of B-cells and (2) production of a large spectrum of autoantibodies with a marked preference for nuclear and intracellular antigens. The clinical and laboratory manifestations and criteria for classification and diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, lupus-like syndromes, and various subsets of systemic lupus erythematosus, are reviewed. The differential diagnosis of SLE and related diseases is described with correlation of specific intracellular autoantibodies.
Nakamura
R M
RM
Department of Pathology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California 92037.
Bylund
D J
DJ
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D008177:Lupus Vulgaris / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D006657:Histones