Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus is a common disease manifestation and a strong predictor of poor outcome.

Researchers at the Arizona Arthritis Center are coordinating two major studies that show promise in helping alleviate or prevent symptoms that affect patients with systematic lupus. "One of the studies is on the effects of the hormone DHEA (dehdroepiandrosterone) on patients with lupus and the other is on a new immunological therapy to treat kidney inflammation that is caused by lupus, said Mark Iannini, M.D., principal investigator on both studies.

In a study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (April 29, 1997, Vol. 94), Mozes's team synthesized two protein fragments that effectively immunized mice against lupus. The protein fragments were designed to mimic sections of the abnormal antibodies produced in lupus. Although their precise mechanism has not been fully clarified, studies indicate that they prevent the initiation of the autoimmune response. Where the disease already exists, preliminary results in mice suggest that

Studies on mice with a disease similar to systemic lupus erythematosus, a devastating autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation and severe kidney disease, point to a novel therapeutic approach to treating this disease in humans, report scientists from The Rockefeller University in the Feb. 13 issue of the journal Science.