Interstitial Lung Disease Research Paper

Introduction

There are numerous autoimmune diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. These diseases attack the lungs in many different ways and they cause many varied symptoms. Most of these diseases fit under the category of Interstitial Lung Disease(ILD). Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), sarcoidosis, and Goodpasture syndrome are a few diseases that effect the lungs . All of these have progressive disease states. The treatments vary from each disease. Most of these diseases, not all, have an unknown cause, meaning the pathophysiology does not seem to be clear.1

In the present paper the disease states, clinical features, treatment, and possible outcomes will be discussed. Also, the reviewed literature

Normally this disease is associated with joint involvement but research is now showing that that is no longer the case. Women are more affected than men and those with a higher genetic disposition end up with the disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease. It may involve the lungs by causing pleurisy, interstitial pneumonitis, and pulmonary hypertension secondary to pulmonary vasculitis.2 The problem with Rheumatoid Arthritis is that patients ignore the few symptoms until the shortness of breath becomes more noticeable.5 Necrobiotic nodules that can form cavities, that form within n the lungs as well defined masses.2 They usually form in the periphery of the lungs and are more common in men.2 Sarcoidosis is another autoimmune disease that is closely related to interstitial lung disease as well.2 There is a formation of tubercles of non-necrotizing epithelioid tissue that are made of immune cells which cause the autoimmune response.2 This disease most often effects that lungs. Their symptoms are often chest pain, dry cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. This disease is found more in African Americans effecting more women than men. The onset occurs typically between the ages of 20 and

When symptoms become noticeable there are vague and are similar to the symptoms of other diseases.7 There are a long list of symptoms that are narrowed down by the process of elimination in order to diagnosis this disease properly.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), or most commonly called lupus, is a chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorder.8 The number of antibodies that can cause problems for the body with this disease are numerous. Lupus has been referred to as the “disease of many faces”.9 Because of this the symptoms may be present than the can change and present as other symptoms. As the symptoms progress they be called flare-ups due to the fact that the disease symptoms may be episodic, because of this SLE is harder to treat and the damage is more severe.

In the lungs the SLE can cause pleurisy (with or without fluid), inflammation, bleeding into the lungs, and blood clots. Lupus is chronic and diagnosis is complicated because patients have to meet certain criteria and because the symptoms very with each episode the disease can take years to diagnose.8 However, lupus is not deadly and most individuals who suffer with the disease live normal lives with minor