Symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus recurrence
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease primarily characterized by multi-system damage and damage to multiple organs, and it is a chronic disease, meaning it cannot be cured but only controlled through medication to manage the symptoms, prevent relapses, and delay complications. Exposure to cold, fatigue, or prolonged ultraviolet radiation can trigger a relapse of the disease. The clinical manifestations of a relapse may include an increase in skin rashes compared to before, or the emergence of low-grade fever and fatigue, or joint pain, which should be taken as warning signs. Moreover, some individuals may experience severe swelling of both lower limbs, a clinical indication. Key diagnostic indicators in clinical examinations include the titers of autoimmune antibodies, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and the levels of complement C3 and C4, which are used to comprehensively determine whether the disease has relapsed.