In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (foreign invaders, like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders.
http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus
1 Lupus is not like or related to cancer. 2  Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. 3  Lupus is an autoimmune disease, as described above. 4  However, some treatments for lupus may include immunosuppressant drugs that are also used in chemotherapy.
http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus
OIs and AIDS-related cancers tend to occur more commonly in people with lower CD4 counts, and checking your CD4 cell count will allow you to begin necessary prophylactic medications to reduce your risk of opportunistic infections like PCP and mycobacterium Avium and readdress HIV treatment.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=pb-diag-04-00
1 In HIV or AIDS the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive. 2  Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. 3  With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life. 4  Our research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus.
http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus
Certain serious and life-threatening diseases that occur in HIV-positive people are called AIDS-defining illnesses. When a person gets one of these illnesses, he or she is diagnosed with the advanced stage of HIV infection known as AIDS.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=pb-diag-04-00
Kaposi's Sarcoma and HIV/AIDS. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a form of cancer that occurs on the skin and in mucous membranes. It occurs among people who have HIV/AIDS. It is related to a herpes type virus. KS appears as purplish or dark lesions on the skin.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/aids-related-skin-conditions
These are some additional facts about lupus that you should know: 1  Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. 2  Lupus is not like or related to cancer. 3  Lupus is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). 4  Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be ...
http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus
Once HIV damages their immune system enough, the OI becomes uncontrolled and makes them sick. If you have HIV, you can take antibiotics to prevent the OI from causing disease. For example, one common opportunistic infection is Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (also called PCP). Most people already have the microbe that causes PCP in their body, but it doesn't make them sick.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=pb-diag-04-00
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The virus weakens a person's ability to fight infections and cancer. People with HIV are said to have AIDS when the virus makes them very sick and they develop certain infections or cancers.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/aids-related-skin-conditions
Lymphomas. Lymphomas associated with HIV include a large group of cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system. The cancers can spread to different parts of the body, such as the central nervous system, liver, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms depend on where the cancer resides.
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=pb-diag-04-00
what are illnesses like cancer and hiv called
Illnesses like cancer and HIV are called AIDS.