NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH |
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases |
FOR RELEASE Wednesday, November 5, 1997 |
Elia Ben-Ari (301) 496-8190 benarie@od.niams.nih.gov
Connie Raab |
Thursday, November 6, 1997--12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Natcher Conference Center, Room A, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is the prototypical autoimmune disorder. In lupus, the body produces certain proteins called autoantibodies that contribute to inflammation and tissue injury in the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels, and brain. Lupus affects nine times as many women as men, with minority women having as much as a threefold risk over nonminority women. Lupus is the subject of intense investigation; progress in research and medicine has greatly increased both the length and quality of life for lupus patients. Yet this complex disease still presents many questions and challenges as there is still no known cause or cure.
For more information and to register for the Nov. 6 briefing or the Nov. 6-8 conference contact Connie Raab or Elia Ben-Ari, NIAMS Office of Scientific and Health Communications, ph: (301) 496-8190, e-mail: RaabC@od.niams.nih.gov or Elia_Ben-Ari@nih.gov. [The press desk number will be (301) 496-9966.] For your convenience, lunch will be provided during the briefing, courtesy the S.L.E. Foundation, New York, N.Y.
**NOTE: Reporters unable to attend can call in for a teleconference during the briefing at (800) 938-0653.
Conference details on the Web: http://www.nih.gov/niams/news/sleconf.htm.
Conference sponsors are: The S.L.E. Foundation; the Lupus Foundation of America; the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS); the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health.