Recent advances in the genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a loss of immunologic tolerance to a multitude of self-antigens. Recent studies using spontaneous and experimentally derived murine models are beginning to elucidate the complex pathophysiology of SLE. In human SLE, several recently published genome-wide screens support the genetic hypothesis in SLE. These studies have reported, in aggregate, 48 potential susceptibility loci, which are now being prioritized for further fine-mapping and gene discovery efforts. In this review, the authors will discuss new experimental data that provides clues to the genetic pathways important in the pathogenesis of SLE.