Children with Lupus - Article Example

Researchers analyzed data reports “children with lupus kidney disease had more than twice (2.4 times) the risk of dying compared to children with other forms of kidney disease” (para.5). Kidney failure or disease caused by lupus is called Lupus nephritis. This has become a major concern of various medical institute especially lupus related organizations. Last April 14, 2011, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) with coordination of RN.com, RxSchool.com, and Dr. Mary Anne Dooley, Member, LFA's Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, launched a new continuing education program for the nurses, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians.

The program entitled ‘Lupus, Deciphering the Clues’ will enhance health professionals awareness of lupus diagnosis and treatments, to meet the needs of early diagnosis and treatment to avoid further vital organ complications. It has been observed by the LFA, based on their own survey, more than fifty percent among lupus patient had visited three or more doctors, and some even suffered four or more years, before they were being diagnosed (Medical News Today, 2011). May this program will be of great help to minimize lethal cases of Lupus nephritis to children, as well as to adults.

Actually, researchers have been very enthusiastic in performing in-depth study to learn more about lupus and how lupus nephritis developed. LFA(2011) related the experimentation performed on nineteen week-old female mice to learn about the role of immune system proteins called interferons (IFNs) and macrophages (white blood cells) in the development of lupus nephritis. The mice were divided into three groups, wherein mice in the first group were injected three times per week for four weeks of a drug called polycytidylic acid (PCA) which will cause increased activity of IFNs that will start out lupus.

The mice in the second group were injected a single dose only of one kind of lupus-related IFN called type I IFN, while the mice in the third group were injected with salt water only, to be used as comparison group. The mice urine were monitored for protein development testing. Then after two weeks, the first and second group of mice manifested developed protein in urine, evidence of developed lupus nephritis. Animal experimentation served as an instrument to discern what types of imbalances might be causing human lupus, and may contribute in finding ways for treatment.

Yet, the researchers admitted that such animal experimentations have limitations since there are many known, as well as unknown, differences between human and mice immune system. But still, this may shed light for further studies on what treatment might or might not be useful for treating lupus. As expected, urine protein testing would become useful in early detection of kidney damage from lupus. Therefore, Medical News Today (2010) reported a newly discovered simple urine tests for four proteins that might serve as an instrument for early detection of kidney disease in patient with lupus.

Likewise, as the article reports, the UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers conducted experiments on mice and found out four proteins protease, PGDS, SAP and SOS showed up in larger amounts on mice urine with progressive kidney damage. They believed that each of these proteins has corresponds in human’s protein or either present in human system. Researchers admitted that this kind of tests might take years to be utilized clinically since they are