Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systematic damage caused to the immune system by the body itself. The parts of the body most affected by this condition are the heart, kidneys, liver, joints and brain. With these body parts affected, the entire body can become paralyzed or rather not function well. Lupus or SLE is commonly recognized by butterfly fever spreading across the nose and cheeks (Magro et al. 2013). However, the most common symptoms of lupus are joint pain and swelling, kidney failure, fatigue, and photosensitivity. Lupus is mainly caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. According to Magro et al., genes, environment, and genetic factors cause lupus (2013). Women are more affected by this condition than men. Additionally, lupus affects people between the ages of 20 and 40, although children are said to rarely get lupus. Initially, a person diagnosed with lupus was said to die because there was no treatment. However, with advancements in treatment and prevention methods, people with lupus can live normal lives. With proper lupus treatment, you can manage the condition and protect the affected organs from serious damage. Just like lupus, multiple sclerosis is a chronic immune system disease that affects the central nervous system. The cause of this condition is unknown; however, some of the causes are violent trauma to the head or spinal cord and/or an attack by the immune system, which leads the body to attack the myelin sheaths around the neurons in the ascending and descending pathways and above all genetic and environmental factors. Rosner (2008) notes that multiple sclerosis is the common cause... half of the article... one major similarity is that there is no cure, primarily affects women, only the symptoms are treatable and begin early adulthood. In contrast, although both are autoimmune diseases, lupus attacks the skin, joints and nervous system while multiple sclerosis deteriorates the protective sheaths around nerve cells, which subsequently causes damage to the nervous system and brain. Works Cited Ferreira, S. D'Cruz, D.P., & Hughes, G.R.V. (2005). Multiple sclerosis, neuropsychiatric lupus and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: where are we at? Rheumatology, 44(4): 434-442.Rosner, J. (2008). Multiple sclerosis. New York, Simon & Schuster. Magro, C., Cohen, D., Bollen, E. L., Buchem M. A., Huizinga, T. W., & Steup-Beekman, G. M. (2013). Demyelinating disease in SLE: is it multiple sclerosis or lupus? Best Practice Res Clinic Rheumatol. 27(3):405-24