Dr. Gibson discussed lupus on local WRAL news story.
The Lupus Foundation of America is promoting lupus awareness around the nation. Their campaign, “Help Us Solve the Cruel Mystery” includes a purple bus that unveils some of the mysteries of lupus through educational video displays. The bus recently made a stop on its nationwide tour at UNC in early March.
UNC Kidney Center’s Dr. Keisha Gibson is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics. She was recently featured on a local news story on WRAL that covered the lupus bus visit to the Triangle area. Dr. Gibson discussed the nature of the disease to WRAL:
“It is a mystery disease. I think of lupus as being like the ultimate betrayal of the body. It can affect many different organ systems – it can manifest in many different ways,” she said.
Lupus is a long term condition where a person’s body forms antibodies against different parts of itself. Lupus may cause the body to attack the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, heart, or brain. Lupus is a type of vasculitis, which means that there is swelling of the blood vessels. In lupus, this swelling is caused by the immune system attacking itself.
Lupus affects 1.5 million Americans, 90% of cases found in women. It also tends to affect more African Americans and Hispanics than Caucasians. The causes of the disease are unknown, and there is no cure.
While the symptoms of the disease can be managed with drugs, these drugs have side effects.
Dr. Gibson told WRAL that there is a greater need for research moving toward cure of the disease, and someday, prevention.
The video featuring Dr. Gibson can be found on the WRAL web site.
You can find out more about the Cruel Mystery bus here.
You can learn more about lupus on the UNC Kidney Center web site here.