SLE
Meaning of SLE: SLE is the abbreviation for systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues.
Definition of SLE
SLE stands for systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly produces antibodies against the body's own tissues rather than only against foreign invaders. This misdirected immune activity can cause inflammation in many different organs.
SLE most commonly affects the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood cells, and nervous system, though the combination and severity of organs involved varies widely from person to person. Because of this variability, two people with SLE can have very different symptoms and disease courses.
SLE typically follows a pattern of flares, when disease activity and symptoms increase, and periods of remission, when symptoms lessen or resolve. Diagnosis generally relies on a combination of clinical findings and blood tests, including specific autoantibodies associated with the condition.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Blood tests were ordered to evaluate the patient's joint pain and rash for possible SLE.
Good to know
SLE is often referred to simply as lupus, though lupus can also refer more narrowly to certain skin manifestations alone, so the two terms are not always used identically.