title: The dysregulation of cytokine networks in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease associated with chronic immune activation and tissue damage. Organ damage in SLE results from the deposition of immune complexes and the infiltration of activated T cells into susceptible organs. Cytokines are intimately involved in every step of the SLE pathogenesis. Defective immune regulation and uncontrolled lymphocyte activation, as well as increased antigen presenting cell maturation are all influenced by cytokines. Moreover, expansion of local immune responses as well as tissue infiltration by pathogenic cells is instigated by cytokines. In this review, we describe the main cytokine abnormalities reported in SLE and discuss the mechanisms that drive their aberrant production as well as the pathogenic pathways that their presence promotes.
authors: Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: Sokratis A
authors: SA
authors: Apostolidis
authors: Linda A
authors: LA
authors: Lieberman
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Kis-Toth
authors: José C
authors: JC
authors: Crispín
authors: George C
authors: GC
authors: Tsokos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines