Why do some people with lupus get other disease manifestations after sun exposure?
The immune response to cell constituents results in the formation of these special proteins called antibodies. The antibodies are made by white blood cells called lymphocytes that circulate in the blood and both the lymphocytes and the antibodies can travel to different parts of the body. These antibodies in lupus are directed against, and bind to, particular molecules such as DNA and Ro. These cell constituents may be released by other dying cells in the body as it appears that the inability to clear dying cells is not limited to the skin. Wherever the antibodies and their target molecules meet up and bind together, an immune complex is formed which can set up a series of inflammatory processes causing disease manifestations in that part of the body. Having said this, it is still not entirely clear why different people with lupus get certain disease manifestations and not others.
