Lupus symptoms vary, complicating diagnosis
Common symptoms of the autoimmune disorder can include fatigue, rashes and pain, UCI Health rheumatology expert says
IN THE NEWS: Lupus is a complex autoimmune condition that attacks the body’s own tissues and organs, causing inflammation that can have a wide variety of symptoms. Dr. Sheetal Desai, a rheumatologist with UCI Health explains to Prevention that symptoms of lupus can be nonspecific, which can delay diagnosis.
“About 90%of patients report persistent fatigue and a general sense of feeling unwell.”
Desai is a board-certified rheumatologist at UCI Health who specializes in lupus. She is also an associate professor and chief of the Division of Rheumatology, as well as interim chair of the Department of Medicine, at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
Desai is actively recruiting patients to participate in a phase 1 clinical trial for an investigational stem cell therapy that has shown promising results in Europe. Learn more about the dapirolizumab pegol trial.
To make an appointment with UCI Health Rheumatology Services, call 714-456-7720.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, has been the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, since 1976. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Health — Orange provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).