Term
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Definition
| An anti-inflammatory corticosteroid |
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Term
| Why is prednisone useful in managing SLE? |
|
Definition
| It suppresses immune activity by preventing neutrophil activity, descreasing vascular permeability, and decreasing lymphocyte activation |
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Term
| How specific is prednisone? |
|
Definition
| It is non-specific and will increase risk of infection to foreign microbes by affecting both B and T cells |
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Term
| Why is rituximab useful in SLE therapy? |
|
Definition
| It down regulates and eliminates B cells and is specific for CD20. |
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Term
| What cellular processes are affected by rituximab? |
|
Definition
| It causes B cell death and prevents proliferation. |
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|
Term
| What happens to Treg cells in SLE? |
|
Definition
| They are probably decreased, but may not change. There is mounting evidence of a Treg problem in SLE |
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