Does my mother have lupus erythematosus?

When it comes to the topic of whether lupus is hereditary, this is not a simple question to answer with yes or no, because the vast majority of lupus patients are women of childbearing age, so this issue has always puzzled many women who want to have children. The results of modern scientific research show that the fundamental causes of lupus are genetics and female hormones, and the external causes may be ultraviolet light, virus infection, synthetic drugs, natural Chinese medicines, herbs, health foods, and pigments added to foods. So is lupus erythematosus genetically inherited? Let me give you a detailed introduction below:

1. Comprehensive statistics of all first-degree relatives of lupus patients show that overseas research shows that the probability of developing lupus is 5% to 10%, while our own research results are 10%. If we take the family as the basis, we also found that if there is a lupus patient in the family, 6% of other first-degree relatives will develop lupus. According to our statistical analysis, when there are two or more people with lupus in a family, the most common relatives are mother and daughter, followed by sisters, brothers, father and daughter. The disease does not necessarily occur in order of age. In rare cases, a daughter may become ill before her mother.

2. According to current scientific research, there are four to six genes that can cause lupus erythematosus, which may include the leukocyte low antigen gene, the fourth complement gene, the T key point cytokine gene, the immunoglobulin G gene, and other genes that have yet to be confirmed. It is very rare for a person to inherit the same four to six genes from a single father or mother, so it is very rare for a family to have lupus for several generations. Sometimes relatives will only inherit part of the lupus gene and produce antinuclear antibodies ANA, but will not develop symptoms. This happens in about one-half to one-third of relatives.

3. Scientific research on twin babies has confirmed the relationship between genetic inheritance and the occurrence of lupus. However, due to the difference in the risk of disease between identical twins and fraternal twins, it can also be understood that genetic inheritance is not the only cause of lupus, and acquired factors are also very important. Therefore, it can be said that not every member of a family with lupus is likely to have inherited the disease gene for lupus. If the disease gene is inherited, it also requires appropriate stimulation from acquired environmental factors to cause the disease. These factors include excessive ultraviolet light, viral infections, natural herbs, Chinese medicines, healthy foods, food-added pigments, etc.

4. For lupus patients, do you always want to know whether all their family members need to have blood tests? The answer depends on the situation, because about 50% of lupus patients' first-degree relatives will have antinuclear antibodies ANA in their blood, but it will not necessarily cause symptoms. But sometimes we will encourage patients and relatives to have blood tests to participate in lupus genetic research. Because of racial differences and different genetic inheritance, we must also conduct local research on the lupus genes of Chinese people, which will be helpful for the treatment and control of lupus in the future.

The above content is what I introduced to everyone about whether lupus is hereditary. As long as it is as mentioned above, you should pay attention to protection and stay vigilant, and as the treatment of lupus becomes more and more effective, the risk to children will become smaller and smaller. Therefore, friends with lupus can get married with peace of mind and continue the family line.