The Ethical Implications of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with multiple symptoms and each patient presents a particular clinical and immunological-biological profile. The cause of the disease remains unknown. Lupus erythematosus embraces three clinical forms: chronic, subacute and systemic. Events in the three clinical forms range from skin involvement (chronic form) to serious systemic implications, affecting patient’s health and life (as a systemic disease).
The systemic form – systemic lupus erythematosus – has a wide range of immunological abnormalities that cause inflammation in various organs and systems. The inflammation occurs as a result of excessive production of autoantibodies, that are directed against self structures that are no longer recognized. In systemic lupus, cutaneous manifestations are often accompanied by renal, cardiac, osteoarticular, neuropsychiatric disorders.