Southern European ancestry a major factor in lupus
Patients with southern European ancestry are more likely to be hit with a more severe case of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - more commonly referred to as lupus - than those with northern European ancestry. The findings were presented at the recent Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism held in Paris, France. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. The disease tricks the body's immune system into not being able to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies which are directed against itself. These antibodies, called 'auto-antibodies', cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body. For most people, lupus is a mild disease affecting only a few organs. For others, it may cause serious and even life-threatening problems. Until now, the relationship between specific European ancestry and the severity of lupus has not been studied. Speaking at the congress, Professor Lindsey A Criswell of the University of California in the USA explained why he and his team had investigated the ancestry link. 'Exploring the ancestry and genetic make-up of patients in relation to their disease today helps us to better understand the complex nature of SLE and why it manifests itself differently in different people,' he said. 'This study shows a clear correlation between specific European ancestry and SLE disease severity and autoantibody production, which may further assist in understanding the risk factors for this condition and should help us better understand and manage this disease in the future.' According to the results of the research, northern European ancestry is shown to be associated with the relatively mild mucocutaneous (skin) manifestations of lupus. On the other hand southern European ancestry contributes to more severe manifestations of the disorder such as nephritis (the inflammation of the kidneys), and increased production of specific auto-antibodies. On a worldwide scale lupus is more common than leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. It can occur at any age and in both sexes but is most common in women; 90% of the patients are women of childbearing age.