The Lupus Implications of Staph Infections

Chronic exposure to even small amounts of staph bacteria could be a risk factor for the chronic inflammatory disease lupus, Mayo Clinic research shows.  Staph, short for Staphyloccus aureus, is a germ commonly found on the skin or in the nose, sometimes causing infections.  In the Mayo study, mice were exposed to low doses of a protein found in staph and developed a lupus-like disease, with kidney disease and autoantibodies like those found in the blood of lupus patients.  The findings are published online this month in the Journal of Immunology.

Research on Lupus  

The next step is to study lupus patients to see if the staph protein in question plays a similar role in humans. "We think this protein could be an important clue to what may cause or exacerbate lupus in certain genetically predisposed patients," Dr. Vaidehi Chowdhary, co-author, says.  "Our hope is to confirm these findings in lupus patients and hopefully prevent flares."  In the mice studied, a staph protein activated white blood cells, leading to an inflammatory illness mirroring lupus.

Research on people has shown that carrying staph bacteria is linked to autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, Kawasaki disease and granulomatosis with polyangilitis.  Since the cause of lupus is still unknown, the discovery of the staph protein's role is exciting, Dr. Chowdhary says.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Learning To Live With A Chronic Condition

The Kubler-Ross model, commonly referred to as the "five stages of grief", is a hypothesis introduced by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, that says that when a person is faced with the reality of an awful fate, he or she will experience a series of emotional stages of grief.  It was introduced in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. 
Kubler-Ross originally applied these stages to people suffering from terminal illness, but later expanded it to apply to any form of catastrophic personal loss, including the onset of a disease or chronic illness.  Thus, it is applicable to conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and fibromyalgia, and many others.

• Denial: "I feel fine.  This isn't happening."  Denial is a defense mechanism--to dispute the diagnosis, to try to maintain your lifestyle, to pretend the condition will not affect you.
• Anger: "Why me?  This isn't fair."  You can be angry at your doctor, yourself, your body or your surroundings.
• Bargaining: "I'll do anything for... What if I become a better person?"  This is an attempt to cure yourself, or negotiate away the situation for more freedom from the condition and avoiding treatment by doing good things.
• Depression: "I'm sad, so why bother with anything?  I don't care anymore."  When the illness or condition is a certainty, you may withdraw or lose interest in outside activities.
• Acceptance: "I will move forward."  The goal is to come to terms with the reality of the condition and learn to live with it.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309