I would appreciate any information on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, or Sjorens Disease.  A good friend of mine suspects that her daughter ma one of these diseases.  Do you know of any sources on Internet ? Ti   SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS             ( Lupus )    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a rare chronic disease manifested by inflammation of multiple organ systems including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, blood, blood vessels and brain.  Ninety percent of the patients with this often- disabling illness are young women; men comprise only ten percent of the cases.    Cause    While the cause of SLE remains unknown, blood test abnormalities tend to implicate an autoimmune mechanism: i.e. antibodies are produced against one's own tissues, cells or chemical constituents.  The characteristic laboratory finding is the presence of antibody to DNA, the basic genetic material, and other substances within the nuclei of individual cells.  In addition to these anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), there may be antibodies to blood cells and various proteins present in the circulation.  Although the antibodies do not damage intact cells or their nuclei directly, they may set off the inflammatory process in response to their reaction with small amounts of circulating antigens

I would appreciate any information on Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, or Sjorens Disease.  A good friend of mine suspects that her daughter ma one of these diseases.  Do you know of any sources on Internet ? Ti   SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS             ( Lupus )    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is a rare chronic disease manifested by inflammation of multiple organ systems including the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, blood, blood vessels and brain.  Ninety percent of the patients with this often- disabling illness are young women; men comprise only ten percent of the cases.    Cause    While the cause of SLE remains unknown, blood test abnormalities tend to implicate an autoimmune mechanism: i.e. antibodies are produced against one's own tissues, cells or chemical constituents.  The characteristic laboratory finding is the presence of antibody to DNA, the basic genetic material, and other substances within the nuclei of individual cells.  In addition to these anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), there may be antibodies to blood cells and various proteins present in the circulation.  Although the antibodies do not damage intact cells or their nuclei directly, they may set off the inflammatory process in response to their reaction with small amounts of circulating antigens