Why an overactive immune system attacks the bodies of people with lupus but still leaves them vulnerable to infection
A strong immune response doesn’t necessarily mean better protection from infection. The type and timing of immune attacks matter, too.
People with lupus, an autoimmune disease, experience an overactive immune system that can lead to painful rashes and heightened inflammation. However, this same immune response often fails to effectively combat bacterial infections. Researchers have discovered that chronic inflammation in lupus causes neutrophils—white blood cells that respond first to bacterial invasions—to produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in a misguided manner.
NETs, which normally trap and destroy bacteria, prove less effective in lupus patients as inflammatory molecules interfere with the neutrophils' ability to sense bacterial signals, like lactate, leading to ineffective trapping and killing of bacteria. Although lupus treatments often reduce bacterial levels in the body, they do not significantly improve survival rates.
This suggests that existing therapies may help correct specific immune defects contributing to infection susceptibility in lupus patients. Future research will focus on understanding how different types of NETs impact autoimmune disease and infection, potentially leading to more targeted treatments for lupus.
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