Question

Jenny Higgins, a 27-year-old female, develops achy joints, disrupted bowel activity and skin rashes over the course of 7 months. Although mild at first, the symptoms get worse over this time period, and while her GP did not initially suspect an autoimmune disease, Jenny is eventually diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) a classic systemic autoimmune disease. Answer the following sub-questions separately.

1) Name some common autoantibody responses present in patients with SLE? (1 mark)

2) Briefly describe how these autoantibodies contribute to symptoms of the disease.

3) Patients with SLE often have delayed clearance of apoptotic cells. Explain why this delay may result in an increased risk of autoreactivity to internal cellular components such as the nucleus.

4) If self-proteins or tissue components in the joints are not targeted directly in SLE, why do patients develop inflammation of joints?

5) Briefly describe a 2 stage (2 different drugs, and why you have chosen these) anti- inflammatory treatment regime designed to quickly bring inflammation under control, but moving to long term treatment more readily tolerated by the patient.

Answer 1