[Diagnosis, therapy and prognosis in systemic autoimmune disorders like lupus erythematosus]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototype of a systemic autoimmune disorder, in which immune complexes or cytotoxic antibodies give rise to tissue damage and organ failure, which often results in death. Due to more sensitive diagnostic tools and more sufficient therapeutic methods, the five-year survival rate in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus has improved dramatically during the past decades from less than 50% to 95%. Mortality is still 4 to 5 times higher and is mostly caused by uncontrolled disease flares, infections, and thromboses. Risk factors influencing the course of SLE and favouring the higher mortality are serum antibodies (anti-dsDNA, anticardiolipin, lupus anticoagulant), infections, hypertension, osteoporosis with fractures, cytopenia, renal involvement, higher age at onset, and genetic factors. Morbidity and social consequences are conducted by individual multisystemic disease manifestations.