Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.PCS 1/10/84; site mtgzz.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!mtgzz!jak From: jak@mtgzz.UUCP (j.a.kushner) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: What is Lupus? Message-ID: <1391@mtgzz.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Nov-85 10:03:30 EST Article-I.D.: mtgzz.1391 Posted: Fri Nov 8 10:03:30 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 10-Nov-85 08:19:20 EST References: <853@houxl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Middletown NJ Lines: 15 > What is LUPUS? Lupus is the name generally used for the colagen disease Lupus Erythematosis. In brief, this is an immunologic-type disorder affecting multiple organ systems and showing a variety of signs and symptoms. In terms of testing, it occassionally may lead to a presumptive diagnosis of CML (chronic myelogenous leukemia), but finding the typical LE cell usually is one way of determining the difference. Also, tests for anti-nuclear antibodies are commonly positive with Lupus, but also, sometimes, with the other collagen diseases. It is essentially an autoimmune disease targetted at DNA. Hope this helps. (My memory of the specifics of LE seemed to be coming in short bursts; sorry for the disorganized ramblings!)