Genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus: immune responses and end organ resistance to damage

• Published in: Current opinion in immunology Vol. 31; pp. 87 - 96
• Main Authors: Dai, Chao, Deng, Yun, Quinlan, Aaron, Gaskin, Felicia, Tsao, Betty P, Fu, Shu Man
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Adaptive Immunity - genetics; Allergy and Immunology; Animals; Humans; Immunity, Innate - genetics; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - genetics; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - pathology; Mice
• ISSN: 0952-7915; 1879-0372; 1879-0372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2014.10.004

•GWA studies that identify candidate genes in human lupus are summarized.•Examples of the identification of candidate genes are provided.•Human and murine genes conferring end organ resistance to damage are discussed. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic systemic autoimmune disorder. Considerable progress has been made to delineate the genetic control of this complex disorder. In this review, selected aspects of human and mouse genetics related to SLE are reviewed with emphasis on genes that contribute to both innate and adaptive immunity and to genes that contribute directly to susceptibility to end organ damage. It is concluded that the interactions among these two major pathways will provide further insight into the pathogenesis of SLE. An interactive model of the two major pathways is proposed without emphasis on the importance of breaking tolerance to autoantigens.