| **PRESENTATIONS AT THE CONFERENCE**

**AUTOIMMUNE CONNECTIVE TISSUEDISEASES**

**Evelyn V. Hess, MD, FACP, MACRDepartment of Internal MedicineDivision of ImmunologyUniversity of CincinnatiCollege of Medicine**

Many of the autoimmune connective tissue diseases have afemale predominance. These range from systemic lupus erythematosus (8 to 1 female:male),rheumatoid arthritis (2.5 to 1), to scleroderma or system sclerosis (15 to 1).Sjogren’s syndrome is also more common in women.

All these disorders are seen throughout the United Statesand in every country in the world. They occur predominantly in younger women, and many ofthe diseases, particularly systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma, appear to be morefrequent and often more severe in African-American women. Estimates indicate about 5million patients with these four disorders in the United States.

Because the diseases occur frequently in the childbearingyears, they can result not only in very large medical costs including hospitalizations butalso interference with family life and work. The economic cost to this country isenormous. There is as yet no cure for these disorders, though medical management at thepresent time results in great relief of symptoms, reduced disability and for manypatients, the promise of a return to a quite productive life.

These disorders can have very acute onsets, may becomechronic and can have flares and remissions. It is most important to make an earlydiagnosis, as treatment response is better before many complications or organ changes haveoccurred.

The availability of specialists with expertise in thesediseases is important as are support systems for the patients and their families. Itshould also be noted that osteoporosis, which is more prevalent in women, can occur inautoimmune disorders and some of the treatments can contribute to accelerating bone loss.There is an urgent need for a concerted effort to find the causes and cures of autoimmuneconnective tissue diseases.

next

 

 
  |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|