Lupus and AIDS

On Tuesday February 12, 2019, I accompanied our District Supervisor in visiting private schools that are under her supervision. As we entered the compound of the Holy Rosary Academy (Hinunangan), a student  approached me and asked, "Ma'am, are you from the DepEd?" And I replied, "Yes."

The student added, "Are you a DepEd's nurse?" I just simply answered her, "Sorry. I am not a nurse but a teacher." I smiled at her. I just don't know if she noticed my smile because it was  hidden by the face mask that I was wearing.

But why am I wearing face mask? Is Lupus Contagious?

Wearing face mask is one of the recommendation of my doctor. It doesn't mean that my illness, "Lupus," is contagious, because Lupus is an abnormality in my genes not an infection. The illness can be passed to the offspring through genes just like it has been passed through me by one of my parents.

So, if I am wearing face mask, it is not to protect you from my illness, but to protect me from possible infection or from the disease that I might get from the air. I need to protect myself because my immune system is currently compromised.

Compromised Immune System

Taken on
February 16, 2019, before
seeing my doctor at
Nephroline Dialysis Center

When talking about "compromised immune system," you might immediately think of a person having an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Viruses) or suffering from AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). However, even if my immune is currently compromised but it doesn't mean that I have an HIV. The real reason why I have this immune condition is because I am taking immunosuppressive drugs such as the Mycophenolate Mofetil, Hydrochloroquine Sulfate and Prednisone. Suppressing or lowering  my immune or making it underactive is  part of the therapy against Lupus.

Actually, my immune system's current condition, which is called "Drug-Induced Immune Deficiency (DIID)," is different from that of the AIDS. DIID and AIDS are both immune deficiency but they are just few of the kinds of immune deficiency condition. We also have the Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), and the Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID).

Lupus Versus Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Lupus and AIDS are both immune-related illnesses, but they are directly opposite to each other.

The person with Lupus has an overactive immune system, while the immune system of the person with AIDS is underactive. And the person with overactive immune is well protected against infection, but the person with AIDS can easily get an infection.

With regards to the treatment, the treatment for Lupus and AIDS are opposite too. The person with Lupus needs to undergo a treatment that will suppress or control or slow down the immune reaction. While the person with AIDS needs a treatment that will energize, activate or increase the level of his immune reaction.

But of course there are cases that Lupus and HIV-AIDS do exist in one person. This happens when a person with Lupus is infected by HIV. I just don't know what would be the effect of HIV to Lupus. I have read a lot of publications about it but I found nothing that would be favorable to Lupus patients. But there were studies made about it, and researchers found out that the immune system of the person with both Lupus and HIV produced antibodies that fight against the HIV. More studies have been made for the researchers to find ways in getting vaccine against HIV. And soon, if these studies will be successful, I think, vaccine against HIV will be available in the market.