What Causes the Symptoms of Lupus?
Lupus symptoms are all generated by the immune system. Normally, the immune system uses special proteins called antibodies to isolate and tag foreign particles. The immune system usually ignores the cells and particles that make up the body and therefore doesn’t tag them for destruction with antibodies. This isn’t the case for those with lupus, however. In lupus sufferers, autoantibodies (or antibodies which recognize self as foreign) attach to cells and particles of the body, creating immune complexes. Normally, immune complexes are cleared by specialized cells in the body. But with so many self particles being recognized as foreign, these specialized cells can’t clear them fast enough. As a result, the excess immune complexes attach to and harm the inside of blood vessels. Major organs rely on many such blood vessels, and over time can become dysfunctional as their blood vessels are destroyed. Destruction of blood vessels can also result in rashes, a common symptom of lupus.
