Genetics of lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Your body’s immune, or defense, system attacks your own tissues and organs. This often causes swelling which affects your joints. It can also affect your skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. The most common symptom is a rash that covers your nose and cheeks. Others include feeling tired, fever, or joint pain. Lupus can be hard to diagnose. At first, it can look like other diseases. Plus, no two cases of lupus are alike. In some people, the signs and symptoms may come on fast. In others, it might take several years. Lupus can be mild or severe. Scientists think that genetics may play a part in what kind you get. We know there is a link between some gene changes and lupus. But there is a lot we do not know. Except there is no cure right now. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will use BioVU to study lupus. First, they will look for people with lupus. Then they will check if they have gene changes linked to lupus. In a separate study, they will group the lupus patients in different ways. They may group them by age, sex, race or ethnic background, lab results or genetics. They will also look at outcomes. These include time to diagnosis, how severe is the lupus, what drugs they got to help them, and more. Their goal is to learn more about lupus. If there is a link between certain gene changes and different forms of lupus. Or a link between the gene changes and what treatments work best. Their results may help us diagnose lupus faster. Or do a better job treating different forms of lupus. It might even help us find new ways to treat lupus.