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2017 SEP 2 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Investigators discuss new findings in Skin Diseases and Conditions - Cutaneous Lupus [...]

2017 MAY 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week -- Current study results on Autoimmune Diseases and Conditions - Lupus-Like Syndrome have [...]

A variety of rheumatic diseases - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (PA), and the vasculitides among them - manifest as 'lumps, bumps, and holes' involving the extremities. Each of [...]

We analyzed ocular findings from two patients (aged 49 and 60 years) with hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil, Winthrop Pharmaceuticals, Division of Sterling Drug, Inc., New York, New York) retinopathy. Both patients were treated for systemic lupus erythematosus; one patient was treated with 400 to 800 mg of hydroxychloroquine per day (6.1 to 12.2 mg/ke of body weight/day) over a ten-year period, whereas the other received 400 mg/day (6.1 mg/kg of body weight/day) over a 20-year period. Cumulative doses were 1,788 and 2,920 g, respectively. Neither patient had ever been treated with chloroquine. One patient complained of glare and difficulty in adjusting to changes in illumination, whereas the other was asymptomatic. Both had bilateral visual acuities of 20/25, pericentral scotomata, and increased final dark-adapted rod thresholds in the two retinal areas that were tested. Fullfield electroretinograms were reduced and delayed, and focal cone electroretinography showed abnormal foveal responses as well. Ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography showed a bull's-eye maculopathy in both eyes of one patient and perifoveal depigmentation in both eyes of the other patient. Retinal function remained stable at follow-up examinations 18 to 24 months after the cessation of hydroxychloroquine treatment. These two cases demonstrate that peripheral retinopathy, as well as maculopathy, can develop in patients who are treated with hydroxychloroquine for systemic lupus erythematosus, and that retinal function may remain stable after discontinuation of hydroxychloroquine treatment., Hydroxychloroquine is a medication used to treat systemic erythematosus, a chronic inflammatory disease of connective tissue which occurs most often in young women. It has been suggested that there seems to be no upper limit to the total cumulative dose of this medication, and that it can be used safely for many years. A medication with a similar chemical structure, chloroquine (used to treat malaria) can cause the accumulation of pigment granules in the retinal pigment epithelium, the outermost layer of the retina, adjacent to the vascular tunic of the eye. Chloroquinine may interfere with the function of the retinal pigment epithelium, and cause retinopathy. The clinical characteristics of retinopathy caused by chloroquinine and hydroxychloroquinine are similar. Cases are presented of two women with lupus erythematosus who were treated with hydroxychloroquine. One patient, a 49-year-old woman, had been treated for 10 years; the other patient, a 60-year-old woman, had been treated for 20 years. The 49-year-old patient had symptoms of glare and difficulty adapting to changes in lighting; the other patient was without symptoms. On eye examination, both patients had 20/25 vision, a scotoma (an island-like blind gap in the visual field) around the area of central vision, and abnormal electroretinogram studies (recordings of the electric potential of the retina after stimulation by light). Following cessation of hydroxychloroquine medication, patients were followed 18 and 24 months and there was no further loss of retinal function. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

The drug azathioprine has been used to prevent rejection of grafts, or transplanted tissue, by suppressing the immune system of the transplant recipients. Azathioprine acts by interfering with cell division and the production of nucleic acids, which carry the genetic information of the cell. It inhibits or impairs the function of T and B immune cells, enzymes, and certain types of white blood cells, and suppresses the production of prostaglandins, which are involved in several cell processes. The actions of azathioprine are prolonged in the presence of allopurinol, which blocks the breakdown of azathioprine. The actions of muscle relaxants, used to relax muscle during anesthesia, are prolonged in patients treated with azathioprine. The use of azathioprine should be carefully monitored in patients with impaired liver or kidney function. Side effects of azathioprine include a reduction of blood cells, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypersensitivity reactions, increased susceptibility to certain infections, and porokeratosis, a skin disease characterized by thickening and wasting away of the skin. Azathioprine may also increase the risk of cancer of the skin, lymphatic system, neck, and vulva. This drug should not be used by pregnant women because it may cause adverse effects on fetal growth and development. Azathioprine has been used to treat several skin disorders including blistering diseases, such as pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid; eczema, a chronic inflammatory skin disease; systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic inflammatory disease of connective tissue; discoid lupus erythematosus, characterized by recurrent, scaling, red, spotty rash; polymyositis and dermatomyositis, which are connective tissue diseases characterized by muscle inflammation; and psoriasis, a common chronic skin disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) is a skin condition that is characterized by the presence of large red areas, or blotches, in the form of a rash. LE is a disease that mainly affects women. Recent studies have shown that etretinate (Tegison) and isotretinoin (Accutane) may be beneficial in the treatment of cutaneous LE. This article describes six patients with cutaneous LE who were treated with isotretinoin. Prior studies revealed that the skin lesions on these patients were resistant to systemic corticosteroid (prednisone) treatment and to an antimalarial agent (hydroxychloroquine). Therefore, the patients were treated on a daily basis with one milligram of isotretinoin per kilogram body weight. Prednisone and hydroxychloroquine were continued, but in reduced doses, during treatment with isotretinoin. All of the patients showed signs of clinical improvement within two weeks of isotretinoin therapy. However, when drug treatment was discontinued the rash reappeared rapidly. Minimal side effects were reported during the treatment period. It should be noted that isotretinoin is a potential teratogenic agent (can cause birth defects). The use of oral contraceptives is discouraged in patients with LE. Counseling regarding birth control methods should be provided for women with LE if they are being treated with isotretinoin. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Lupus is Latin for wolf and systemic lupus erythematosus was so named because of its erosive `wolf bite' appearance. Dr Ian Bruce, consultant rheumatologist, looks at the treatment of SLE [...]

2002 OCT 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genelabs Technologies, Inc., (GNLB) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an approvable letter on August 28 for Genelabs' [...]

WASHINGTON -- Low-dose thalidomide is suitable for maintenance or intermittent therapy for refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus, Dr. Kathryn F. Thomson reported in a poster session at the annual meeting of [...]

FDA has approved Benlysta (belimumab for injection) from Human Genome Sciences and GlaxoSmithKline for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients receiving standard therapy, including corticosteroids, antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and nonsteroidal [...]

AMSTERDAM -- A European-style low-dose intravenous cydophosphamide regimen achieves long-term outcomes similar to the high-dose regimen popularized in National Institutes of Health-sponsored trials for the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis, [...]

LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- Antioxidants have been taking a back seat to fatty acids in research on the dietary factors that may influence lupus erythematosus, but an overview of the [...]

LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- Antioxidants have been taking a back seat to fatty acids in research on the dietary factors that may influence lupus erythematosus, but an overview of the [...]