LUPUS FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 

October 28, 2013
Have You Entered Our Mercedes Giveaway? 

You can win. You can win a cruise. A shopping spree. And of course, the grand prize, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz!
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Click Here to learn more and find out how to get your tickets.
 
Tickets are $75 per ticket, $200 for 3, or $300 for 5 tickets.

Two early birds: buy your tickets early to get a shot at also winning:

A cruise
A shopping spree

And you can do it all while helping keep alive critical programs for patients and a highly functional information hub for lupus alive.

Get your tickets now.   
Information contained in this e-Newsletter should not be considered a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or management of S.L.E. and symptoms by a physician.   
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Editor: Spandan Chakrabarti

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Researchers Identify Biomarkers Related Poor Pregnancy Outcomes in Lupus Patients


While pregnancy is generally considered safe for lupus patients, there are occasional complications related to the disease. Given that 90% of diagnosed lupus patients are women, the area of pregnancy and lupus has drawn the attention of researchers for a while. Now, researchers in New York have identified genetic biomarkers that they have linked to poor outcomes among pregnant lupus patients.

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City have identified a biomarker that may predict poor pregnancy outcomes in lupus patients. [...]

 

Investigators found that an imbalance of angiogenic factors, proteins required for the development of the placenta and the health of blood vessels, is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Increased levels of an anti-angiogenic protein called sFlt1 in pregnant lupus patients placed them at increased risk of placental insufficiency and preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening complication. Scientists determined that higher levels of sFlt1 reduce the activity of other angiogenic proteins (placental growth factor, PIGF; vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF) that are necessary for growth of the placenta and the mother's blood vessels.

 

The study, part of an ongoing research initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health, can help in better assessing risk factors among patients, and eventually lead to a way of avoiding complications. Read more.
What Causes Lupus? - LRI Distinguished Innovators Look Deeper
LFNC's national research partner, the Lupus Research Institute, has announced this year's Distinguished Innovator Awards, to researchers in Australia and Great Britain who are targeting their research to find out the fundamental cause(s) of lupus, and potential treatment to stop the progression of the disease.

The 2013 award recipients are David Tarlinton, PhD at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia and Kenneth Smith, MD, PhD of University of Cambridge, Great Britain. Dr. Tarlinton will explore new ways to kill the cells responsible for producing autoantibodies that damage tissue and organs in lupus.  Dr. Smith is pursuing an approach to predicting lupus outcome that has potential to reveal new ways to stop lupus progression.

Read more about this year's awards from the LRI.
 
Fall Lupus Medical Conference
 C. Michael Neuwelt, MD, Professor of Medicine at UCSF, will headline the conference.

 

 

Dr. Neuwelt is a clinical professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, Chief of Rheumatology at Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland and Director of Rheumatology Core Curriculum at St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco. He has been challenged and fascinated by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) since 1973 during his third year of medical school.  This challenge has persisted in his private clinical practice and teaching at a county hospital since 1979.  Dr. Neuwelt will discuss latest trends in disease management of lupus and present an update on several lupus research projects he is involved in.
 
The conference will also feature a presentation on the psychological problems commonly associated with SLE by LFNC Board Member and pain psychology therapist, Sarah S. Goozee, Ph.D.
 
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2013
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Venue: Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. 350 Hawthorne Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Registration: Please register online or complete the form on the back of this flyer and mail or fax it with your payment to the LFNC.
Fee: $50 for California Registered Nurses (5 CEU credits) | $30 for non-credit attendees. Includes refreshments; Current LFNC members are entitled to $10 off the registration fee.

 

The Lupus Foundation of Northern California wishes to thank the following for their assistance in making this conference possible: Amgen, Questcor and the Lupus Research Institute. 

Join Us for a Primer and Workshop on California's Health Insurance Marketplace
 
As you might know, California's health insurance marketplace, formed under the Affordable Care Act, is now open for sign-ups. Known as Covered California, the exchange aims to provide affordable health insurance options for those who do not already have affordable coverage through their employers. For those whose incomes qualify, a tax credit/subsidy is available to assist in purchasing insurance.
 
The Lupus Foundation of Northern California, in conjunction with the San Francisco Lupus Support Group will be holding a primer and workshop on Covered California, including options available to you and how to sign up for insurance. We will also have a speaker from Covered CA to speak and answer your questions. Here are the details:
 
What: A Primer and Workshop on Covered CA
When: Saturday, November 16, 2013. 11:00 am to 2 pm.
Where: Bayanihan Community Center, Barangay Hall, 1010 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103.
RSVP: Please RSVP by emailing [email protected]. There is no fee to attend but space is limited. 
 
Even if you have had your application for health insurance denied before because of lupus or another pre-existing condition, under the ACA, you can no longer be denied. Come join us, and bring your friends who you think may need to get coverage as well.
 
This event is made possible through a partnership with