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.

By: Andrew Monteith, University of Tennessee, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 16, 2026

Words: 760

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Andrew Monteith, University of Tennessee

Despite having an overactive immune system, people with lupus may still struggle to fight bacterial infections. My team and I found that this paradox may be because chronic inflammation pushes their immune cells toward the wrong kind of response.

To understand why an overactive immune system can still fail to control bacterial infection, we focused on neutrophils, which are white blood cells that are among the first to …

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