CellCept drug for the treatment of kidney complications could be a boon to lupus patients (Chang, 2005). A small study showed that the drug delivered better results than standard chemotherapy, which could cause infertility and other medical problems. A recent experiment compared the effects of CellCept and the older treatment, cyclophosphamide, in patients for 6 months. Those taking CellCept reported fewer side effects. The researchers were led by Dr. Ellen Ginzler of the SUNY Downstate Medical Center. The disease develops mostly in women of childbearing age. The immune system attacks its own organs and tissue. The cause is still unknown. ut in a third of patients, the most common symptom is inflammation of the kidney. This can, in turn, lead to kidney failure (Chang).

Chemotherapy has been the standard treatment for lupus for the past 30 or more years (Chang, 2005). ut it produces unpleasant side effects, which include hair loss,….

The most common cause of death is infection due to immunosuppression, a result in turn of medications intended to manage the disease. Chances are worse for men and children than for women. After the age of 60, the disease tends to turn benign. The only marker of prognosis in lupus is the anti-ds DNA antibody test and the most sensitive is the Anti-Smith test (Wikipedia)
The standard treatment for lupus has been limited to drugs, such as corticosteroids, anti-malarials and chemotherapy drugs (Wikipedia 2006). The only FDA-approved treatment has been the anti-malarial, Plaquenil. Researches into modern treatment have been enhanced by genetic discoveries, the mapping of the human genome in particular. There has been increased awareness and education about the disease since the 60s, which have also extended help to many sufferers. Records said there were approximately 270,000 to 1.5 million people stricken with lupus. There is no single test….

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Case Study
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, life-long autoimmune disease that affects multiple tissues and organs in the body (Madhok and Wu, 2009). The primary tissues and organs affected by immune system dysfunction are the joints, kidneys, vessel walls, and skin. SLE is believed to be due to an interaction between genetic factors and environmental triggers. The disease is also more prevalent among women, which is consistent with the possibility that hormones play some role in disease etiology.

Of primary concern is lupus glomerulonephritis (Madhok and Wu, 2009). Other serious complications include cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric involvement. Most patients will experience arthritis or joint pain (84%), fever (52%), malar rash (58%), and photosensitivity (45%). Accordingly, a diagnosis of SLE will depend in part on a blood test for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and presentation with rash, joint pain, fatigue, and/or low-grade fevers.

The pain in Vicki's knees, shoulders,….

Oral Manifestations of Lupus Erythematosus
Oral Manifestations of Lupus

Oral Manifestations of Lupus Erythematosis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus for short, is a chronic and generally progressive autoimmune disease affecting many tissues in the body (Lupus Foundation of America, 2015). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2015) discriminates between SLE and lupus affecting the skin only (discoid/cutaneous lupus erythematosis) or that caused by medications (temporary). SLE and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) are the only two types of lupus relevant to this article, since temporary lupus can be treated effectively by changing medication. Prevalence estimates vary considerably, but in the United States an estimated 161,000 individuals have a definitive diagnosis of SLE. Information about incidence rates is equally poor, but the most recent study found that 5.6 out of 100,000 Whites in ochester, Minnesota developed SLE between 1980 and 1992. What follows is a detailed examination of lupus erythematosus (LE),….

Anti-Smith antigen is observed in 25% of patients with SLE overall, with 10-20% whites and 30-40% blacks and Asians and Lupus erythematosus (LE) preparation is found in most patients with active SLE.
Treating the active phase of the disease without allowing the treatment itself to cause long-term damage to the patient is the major challenge for doctors. As a result of this physicians are now less hesitant to use immunosuppressive drugs such azathioprine (Imuran) or cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). Treatment for active systemic lupus erythematosus, on the other hand, depends on the organ systems involved and disease severity; this includes a combination of drugs.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs are used to reduce inflammation and pain in muscles, joints, and other tissues. These may include aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin), naproxen (Naprosyn), and sulindac (Clinoril). The most common side effects are stomach upset, abdominal pain, ulcers, and even ulcer bleeding. Corticosteroids are more potent than NSAIDs in….

Another caution that exists for people suffering from lupus is to exercise caution before and after receiving dental treatment. Lupus patients could develop serious heart infections from the streptococci that might be released into their bloodstream during routine dental procedures, even bi-annual teeth cleanings (Blau and Schultz, 174). The infection can travel to the heart when the patient has certain other manifestations of lupus, and, if the patient has developed a condition called verrucous endocarditis, then it can be deadly if the streptococci infect the heart (Blau and Schultz, 174). Therefore it is strongly recommended that prior to and following dental procedures and cleanings that lupus patients receive antiobiotics that can help them to be prepared to defend their body against the streptococci (Blau and Schultz, 174-175).

The antibiotic -- usually amoxicillin, or another member of the penicillin family, or erythromycin in cases of penicillin allergy -- is taken an hour….

"Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) is a broad term that describes conditions with chronic or recurring immune response and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease" (IBD, 2013, CDC). Ulcerative colitis affects the large colon; Crohn's usually affects the small colon and the beginning portion of the large colon. egardless in both manifestations of IBD, the body attacks the cells of the intestine, mistaking 'good' things like food and bacteria for dangerous invaders and thus causing chronic inflammation.
The effects of IBD can be extremely severe because of the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and subsequent weight loss and malnutrition that they cause. Crohn's is particularly dangerous because it can cause intestinal blockage from severe swelling and scaring. Ulcers can cause fistulas which become infected. Unlike lupus, both forms of IBD can be treated with surgery as well as various anti-inflammatory drugs.….

As a result, children and adolescents are at risk of delays and impairments in cognitive development" (Levy 2009). Such delays are far from inevitable, but they do underline the need to assure that Sarah 'keeps up' with her studies and that reasonable peer-appropriate learning goals may need to be met with the assistance of additional support in some instances.
Although not directly applicable to Sarah, immunizations with live viruses, including chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and oral polio vaccines are not advised for children with lupus (Lupus, 2009, Children's Hospital of Boston). Sarah's parents may need to watch for is the possibility of symptoms in her sibling: "a form of lupus may occur at some point in about one out of twenty people whose siblings have lupus" and they may need to take this into consideration when contemplating a vaccination program if they ever have another child (Lehman 2002). Sarah's….

animal species studied for this report include the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and the American lack ear (Ursus americanus). The plant species studied are the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) and the Prickly Pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa). Each of these species has been observed at the local zoo, and further research has been conducted to learn about the environment in which each species would live in a natural setting. The behavior which have been observed within the zoo have also been combined with the noted behaviors of these species from a natural setting to give a more complete range of information. From this study, I have learned that there are many similarities between the behavior that can be observed in both plants and animals in a captive setting and their natural behavior. However, there are also many notable differences, based largely on to what degree the zoological habitat varies from….

Good Man is Hard to Find
Flannery O'Conner's short story, a Good Man is Hard to Find is a modern parable. The story is laced with symbolism and religious subtext. In many ways the piece is similar to classical Greek plays about pride and retribution.

efore launching into a discussion of O'Conner's story it is important to understand the woman and her motivations to write. O'Conner was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 to her devout Catholic parents, Edward and Regina O'Conner. Flannery spent her youth attending Catholic parochial schools. In 1938, the family moved to a town just outside Atlanta called Milledgeville where Flannery continued her education. Unfortunately, her father would ultimately die in this town as the result of complications from the disease lupus. Flannery went on to Georgia State College for Women and then proceeded to the State University of Iowa where she received her MFA in 1947.

It….

Therefore, it would tend to hold more credibility. Social theories based on bone breakage were based on theory alone. hen one considers the merits of these two conflicting theories, one has to examine the behaviors and condition of modern animals, especially when making such general statements.
If one considers what happens to modern animals when they are hurt, the non-social theory would have more support. Dehydration would be the most critical factor in death after an injury. However, one flaw in this theory is that they gave no comparison of evidence to support their supposition that the animals could live on their body mass while healing. There is simply not enough known about the metabolism of the smilodon to make such as suggestion. Overall, the theories of McCall, Naples, and Martin hold more credibility than the social theories, save for the one exception.

Genetics and DNA

Several researchers were able to extract….

It is often easier to impose this sort of control in a laboratory setting. Thus, true experiments have often been erroneously identified as laboratory studies" (Woolf, 2012). True experiments rigidly control for validity by attempting to isolate variables so that only a single independent variable is studies. The independent variable "is the variable that the experimenter manipulates in a study. It can be any aspect of the environment that is empirically investigated for the purpose of examining its influence on the dependent variable" (Woolf, 2012). Furthermore in true experiments, the subjects are randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Finally, true experiments are double blind, which means that neither the experimenter nor the subjects know whether the subjects are in the experimental or control groups (Woolf, 2012).
True experiments differ from experimental designs in the level of control that exists in each different type of research. An experimental design,….

red wolf and different aspects related to this species. I have included information about its taxonomy, morphology & anatomy, distribution, habitat, feeding, predators, behavior, reproduction, development and economic value. Over all, I have given thorough information regarding the life and habits of the red wolf that is now an endangered animal.
Taxonomy

The red wolf is a species of wolf that is smaller in size and its color varies from reddish gray to almost black. It is commonly known as red wolf. The red wolf is considered as the most beautiful of all the wolves on the planet (Sutton, 1998). However, it has been given the scientific name of Canis rufus. It belongs to the Family Canidae and Order Carnivora (Kelly & Phillips, 2000, p. 247). As far as the status of red wolf is concerned, it has been categorized as an endangered living creature as this species of wolf has….

Mind and Body re: Chapter 11 of Phantoms in the Brain
Many a patient with a tumor pronounced malignant has outlived his physician," notes V.S Ramachandran in his book Phantoms in the Brain, through the sheer mental force of the patient's will. To what extent can the mental powers of the human mind affect the body's ability to heal? The extraordinary cases chronicled by the physician hold hope in limiting the spread of cancer and also to treat affectations of the autoimmune system, such as lupus, for example.

But how to design an experiment from the extraordinary experiences of a few individuals? How to create a standard medical prescription from the extraordinary? One possible suggestion would be to take a group of individuals afflicted by such an immune disorder, and to attempt to condition temporary improvements or remissions in their ailment to a physical response that could be replicated, even when….

Rheumatologist
hat is a rheumatologist? It is a person who is board-certified (either as an internist or a pediatrician) and has the training and experience " ... in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones" (www.hss.edu). The training to become a rheumatologist is rigorous and lengthy.

The diseases of the joints -- and various kinds of arthritis-related health issues that rheumatologist's treat, include: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, scleroderma, musculoskeletal pain disorders, osteoporosis, gout, back pain, myositis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, and vasculitis (www.hss.edu).

hat kind of training is required to become a rheumatologist? It includes four years of medical school, three years of additional training in pediatrics or medicine; and in addition, to become a rheumatologist, another two-to-three years (on top of the original seven years) of specialized rheumatology training is required (www.hss.edu). Once all that training is completed….