Recent advances in the immunopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem inflammatory disease having definite etiologic associations with ethnic, genetic, viral and immunologic factors. Its pathologic hallmark, vasculitis, is currently felt to be the end result of an immune-complex mechanism. Several clinical and serologic variants of SLE are recognized including discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and drug-induced equivalents-such as procainamide-induced lupus (PIL). The distinguishing features of these variants as well as their prognosis and therapy are discussed in relation to recent developments in the immunopathogenesis of SLE.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D044383:Black People; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004285:Dogs; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008179:Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid / Q000175:diagnosis; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000939:Epitopes; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens