Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases sometimes ask themselves the question of the possibility of donating their organs. This is an important issue that is addressed at national level by Biomedicine Agencies. Patients with systemic autoimmune diseases can, in general, donate their organs for transplantation, provided that the organ in question is not affected by the autoimmune disease itself.

As for pure cutaneous lupus, it respects the internal organs, so organ donation is perfectly possible. When it comes to systemic lupus, it all depends on the organs affected by the disease. The cutaneous-articular forms of lupus are usually not accompanied by cardiac, pulmonary, kidney or hepatic damage and organ donation is then possible. For more severe forms that would affect the kidney for example, organ donation is often not possible.

However, for a form that would affect the kidney, but would not affect the heart and lung, the donation of the heart and lungs is quite possible, even if the patient has been taking corticosteroids or immunosuppressants.

Of course, one must also take into account diseases that may be associated with an autoimmune disease and that may contraindicate organ donation, such as diabetes that can affect the heart and kidney, or lung damage related to tobacco for example. The same reasoning can be applied to all systemic autoimmune diseases. The positioning vis-à-vis organ donation is long-term, even if it can be revoked at any time. Patients with autoimmune diseases are first and foremost citizens like any other and therefore their personal reflection should not be different from this:

"Am I a donor or not? Once I have made my choice, I tell my loved ones about it to help them, in case some day a doctor has to ask them this question about me. »