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Posted by Elaine Moore Mar 23, 2006 |
Dr. Betty Diamond of New York City's Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons published the article, titled: Stress hormone enables lupus antibodies to alter behavior, damage cognition, in the January 24, 2006 issue of Lupus Research Institute.
SLE has long been known to cause a cognitive disorder known as neuopsychiatric SLE in up to two-thirds of patients with systemic lupus. Symptoms vary, ranging from mild cognitive dysfunction to life-threatening psyciatric changes and organic brain syndromes.
Antineuronal autoantibodies and ribosomal P protein autoantibodies are usually seen in thes patients. In addition up to 55 percent of patients with neuropsychiatric SLE have antiphospholipid antibodies compared to 20 percent in patients overall with SLE. Dr. Diamond's studies show how epinephrine released during stress facilitates the movement of these antibodies into brain cells. Normally, the blood-brain barrier prevents these hormones from penetrating brain tissue.
The study also describes the effectiveness of memantine, a medication often used in Alzheimer's patients, for patients with neuropsychiatric SLE. Memantime blocks glutamate, a chemical known to destroy brain cells in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and it's suspected of protecting brain cells from autoantibodies in patients with neuropsychiatric SLE.