Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, frozen sera (serum), EDTA plasma and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC’s), bio-fluids from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients for research.

The PBMCs, sera (serum) and plasma bio-fluid specimens are processed from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Overview

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes systemic, or widespread, inflammation. The disease can affect the skin, joints, and blood vessels, as well as multiple organ systems.

The exact causes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remain unclear. However, genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors may contribute to the development of the disease.

SLE is a unique type of lupus because it causes widespread inflammation that can involve multiple tissues and organ systems.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is also the most common type of lupus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimate that SLE affects between 322,000 and 1.5 million people in the United States. It is difficult to know exactly how many people have SLE because its symptoms are similar to those of other health conditions.

Symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

SLE symptoms can come and go in flares. A lupus flare refers to a period during which the disease is actively producing symptoms. A person with lupus enters remission once their symptoms go away.

The severity of SLE flares can range from mild to severe. People may also experience symptoms that affect their kidneys, lungs, heart, or brain. SLE can affect nearly every organ in the body, so symptoms may vary widely from person to person.

Common Signs and Symptoms

People who have SLE may experience a range of symptoms, such as:

Complications

Between one-third and one-half of people living with lupus experience inflammation that affects their kidneys, resulting in a condition called lupus nephritis. Without treatment, lupus nephritis can progress to end-stage renal disease, which is a life-threatening condition.

Lupus nephritis causes the following symptoms:

  • A butterfly-shaped rash on the face
  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Painful or swollen joints

Heart Complications

SLE can affect the heart, leading to inflamed tissue around this organ and abnormal heart valves, among other issues. Atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease, is more common among people with SLE than among those who do not have this condition.

SLE can damage the nervous system and contribute to the following conditions:

  • weakness in the limbs
  • changes in sensations
  • difficulty processing thoughts
  • Seizures


Causes of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

The exact cause of SLE remains unknown. However, variations or mutations in specific genes can increase a person’s risk of developing SLE.

The genetic mutations that researchers have associated with SLE often involve genes that regulate the body’s immune function, which are called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes.

However not everyone with an SLE gene variation will develop the condition.

Several other factors can increase the risk of someone developing SLE. Women are 10 times more likely to develop lupus than men, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

Other Causes

Other factors that can contribute to SLE include:

  • Diet
  • Exposure to toxic chemicals, sunlight, or certain medications
  • Sex hormones
  • Stress
  • Viral infections


Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Currently, there is no cure for SLE. Treatments focus on reducing symptoms — or inducing remission — and preventing severe complications, such as end-stage renal disease.

Medication

Depending on the symptoms and the affected organs, a person with SLE may receive one or more of the following types of medication:

  • Antimalarials, including chloroquine (Aralen)
  • Blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin)
  • Antimetabolites, such as methotrexate
  • Biologics, such as belimumab ( Benlysta)
  • Corticosteroids, for example, prednisone (Deltasone) creams
  • Immunosuppressive medications, which include azathioprine (Imuran) and cyclosporine (Neoral)
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin

These medications work to reduce either inflammation, the activity of the immune system, or damage to the body resulting from SLE.

Dietary Changes

People who have SLE and lupus nephritis may wish to consider making the following dietary changes to help manage their symptoms:

  • Eating more plant-based proteins, such as nuts and beans
  • Limiting sodium intake
  • Eating potassium-rich foods, including bananas, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread
  • Purchasing fresh food as often as possible
  • Avoiding packaged food and premade meals
  • Eating smaller portions of animal proteins
  • Limiting saturated and trans fats
  • Eating foods that are low in phosphorus, such as fresh fruits and vegetables

As people with SLE have an increased risk of heart disease, it is especially important to follow a healthful diet that reduces other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and obesity.

Seeking Medical Help

People may wish to consider visiting the doctor if they experience SLE symptoms.

Those who have already received an SLE diagnosis should contact a doctor if they notice any new or worsening symptoms.

Outlook

Although systemic lupus erythematosus is a long-term condition with no known cure, the outlook is generally positive as long as a person receives appropriate treatment and regular follow-ups with their healthcare team. 

The long-term effects of SLE depend on the severity and frequency of flares. Patients who experience more intense and frequent flares may have a higher risk of developing further complications.

Early Diagnosis

Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can help initiate remission, prevent disease progression, and avoid potentially life-threatening complications.

Many women who have SLE can get pregnant and deliver healthy babies as long as they receive proper treatment throughout their pregnancy.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

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