Lupus is a potentially debilitating disease in which a person's immune system goes haywire.
Instead of doing its job of protecting against foreign invaders, the immune system attacks the body's own healthy organs and tissues.
There are many kinds of lupus. Systemic lupus may affect the skin and joints in some people. In others, the kidneys or other organs may be affected.
The disease can linger for periods with few symptoms. It also can flare up and in some cases pose a serious threat. The cause remains unclear.
Lupus nephritis, District Attorney Frank
J. Clark's condition, is usually discovered when patients complain of reduced kidney function, according to the Lupus Alliance of America. The kidneys filter waste products from blood, and lupus can cause a buildup of toxins.
The alliance and other lupus organizations estimate that 1.5 million Americans have a form of the disease. Although lupus can strike men and women of all ages, 90 percent of patients diagnosed with the disease are women, and most of them develop it between ages 15 and 45.
"Lupus is different for each person who has it," said Honi Kurzeja, executive director of the Upstate New York Affiliate of the Lupus Alliance.
Treatment varies, but two major forms of drug therapy are corticosteroids to control inflammation and immunosuppressive drugs to suppress the immune system.
Most patients can live normal lives with treatment, said Kurzeja. However, groups like hers advocate for increased awareness and research about the disease because there has not been a new drug developed for lupus in more than 40 years.
"People are hopeful because there are some promising medications in the pipeline," she said.
For more information about Lupus, visit the alliance Web site at www.lupusalliance.org .
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