Treating Medical Complications: The Effects of Lupus on Women

Lupus is a complicated medical condition when compared to other autoimmune diseases. Anyone can catch Lupus, however there are groups of people who are more vulnerable to the condition. In fact, gender is a crucial factor in how the Lupus disease can be spread. For instance, “while both men and women can get lupus, it’s well-established that the autoimmune condition is more common among women as research shows only between 4 and 22 percent of those with lupus are male.” According to these readings, women are more prone to contracting Lupus than men are, but this principle has long been a mystery. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning that its origins are buried within the central nervous system. However, “a new study offers a potential explanation for why the condition favors those with two X chromosomes.” Women are predominantly known for containing two X chromosomes in their genetic code. Men are more so protected with their Y chromosomes, yet this does not explain the full reason for why women contract Lupus more than men. To understand this issue more clearly, the Lupus condition itself needs to go under examination.

In the medical world, every autoimmune disease has a non-specific method as to how it operates and attacks the body. Autoimmune diseases normally have multiple isotopes of the parent illness, making these conditions unpredictable in how they will effect the body as well as the immune system. For example, “Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs). "Chronic" means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years.” Diseases such as cancer are commonly associated with Lupus due to the long-lasting effects of both diseases. However, Lupus is so irrational and hard to pinpoint, that in some instances, the Lupus condition itself can cause cancer if left to its own devices. To expand on that note, “in lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs.” The germs and bacteria that people come in contact with on a daily basis are normally harmless after years of developing a strong immune system and the hygiene shift of the later centuries. However, Lupus is aggressive in how it attacks the body internally. In regards to Lupus, “normally our immune systems produce proteins called "antibodies" which protect the body from these invaders.” The same antibodies found in men are the same antibodies found in women, according to the laws of medicine. However, women still manage to contract Lupus more than men do, and this has baffled doctors and medical professionals for the longest time. Since Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, the genesis of the condition is both genetic and found within the central nervous system.

The issue of Lupus effecting women more than men has always been a mystery to medical professionals. Normally, a disease non-specific to the organs of a gender does not only effect a specified group of people. Recently, a “study, published in the journal Science Immunology by a group of scientists from Inserm, the French National Institutes of Health, focused on the expression of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a gene on the X chromosome that is important in inducing antiviral immune responses.” This gene is vital for an individual’s health and wellness, making it an integral unit of the Lupus condition. For example, “people with two X chromosomes, a process called X chromosome inactivation silences expression of TLR7 on one of the two X chromosomes.” Generally speaking, a perfectly healthy male only has one X chromosome, making their probability for catching Lupus much lower than their counterparts. There are some cases in which a man can gain an extra X chromosome through a genetic mutation, but this is not a common enough occurrence. In reference to the study, “they found that TLR7 was able to evade X chromosome inactivation in some cells of both the women and XXY men — which means TLR7 was being over-expressed.” Essentially, if an individual has two X chromosomes they are more vulnerable to Lupus than those with only one X chromosome. This single gene is responsible for one of the most unfortunate circumstances in the world of medicine. However, this is not the end for women or individuals with Lupus.

Lupus effects women more than men, and as of right now, this issue cannot be solved to the process of a cure. Furthermore, Lupus is an autoimmune disease that stems from the central nervous system, making this condition even more difficult to treat. Medical science has managed to overcome the adversity of this condition by creating new treatment methods, despite the comp of Lupus. In fact, “physicians treat lupus using a wide variety of medicines, ranging in strength from mild to extremely strong. Prescribed medications will usually change during a person’s lifetime with lupus.” Lupus is a chronic illness, so the individuals with the condition normally have this issue for the rest of their lives. Lupus is as easily curable as it is understandable, making this condition a hard concept to grasp. Lupus effecting women more than men due to a chromosome is one example of the unfairness of this disease. Furthermore, “one can speculate that lupus women presenting a high frequency of TLR7 biallelic cells could have more chance to evolve towards a more severe form of the disease, or to experience disease relapses more often than women with low levels of biallelism.” Cell and other fragments that construct the immune system may be small, but each portion plays an important role in an individual’s health. For some, remaining healthy is a lot easier said than done, and for many others, quality health does not appear to be a choice. However, an individual always has the option to lead a fulfilling life with the proper mindset and the willingness to thrive.

Lupus is a popular autoimmune disease, but it is not an easy condition to manage without proper education. Every Lupus related issue is subjective in the eyes of those with the condition. What works for some Lupus victim’s treatment wise may not work for another patient with Lupus. Furthermore, “people with lupus often require other drugs to treat conditions commonly seen with the disease.” Support would be the largest tool available to a Lupus patient, so the cooperation of all of those involved in the treatment of a Lupus patient is necessary. Lupus already attacks the body without a foreign invader present in the immune system, so external disturbances would only further complicate the issue. On another note, “autoimmunity" means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues.” The natural defenders of the body will attack the same vessel that it is trying to protect, but modern medicine has been able to keep these issues at bay. Lupus is strange in how it reacts with the human body, due to the diversity of each individual’s genetics. For instance, “Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.” Both men and women with Lupus can lead an active and healthy lifestyle under the right conditions. Gender may be a factor in how this disease is spread, but Lupus is still shrouded in uncertainty. With more research being conducted daily, it is only a matter of time before this uncomfortable illness is uncovered.