Patient's question:
My friend's daughter has been running a fever since two days ago and has been feeling weak all over. She also keeps complaining about joint pain in her hands and feet. My friend was so heartbroken that she took her to a hospital in the town. The doctor diagnosed it as a connective tissue disease and prescribed medication. After that, she needs to focus on her prenatal check-ups.What causes connective tissue disease?
Doctor's answer:
Anti-lymphocyte antibodies It has been discovered that some patients with mixed connective tissue disease have anti-lymphotoxic antibodies (anti-lymphocyte antibodies) in their serum. This antibody is essentially IgM and has a destructive effect on both peripheral T and B cells. Its activity is positively correlated with the number of peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocytes, and its activity decreases during remission. It has a high positive rate in patients with skin, neurological, and esophageal symptoms, but it has no relationship to kidney changes or joint symptoms.