What Is Lupus?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
2. Causes of Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune disease. However, the exact cause is unknown. The immune system protects the body against foreign invaders by producing proteins called antibodies. However, when someone has lupus, the body cannot differentiate between body tissues and foreign invaders. The antibodies start attacking the person’s own healthy tissues, leading to swelling, pain, and tissue damage.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA) is the most common autoantibody that is known to lead to lupus. The antibodies circulate in blood and enter the cells that have permeable cell walls and ultimately attack the cell’s DNA. This can explain why lupus spares some organs and attacks other organs.
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