title: Relaxin: a missing link in the pathomechanisms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?
abstract: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease which predominantly affects women of reproductive age. Despite significant progress in recent years to elucidate many potential mechanisms involved in the generation of autoimmunity the factors behind the high incidence among women, the relapsing-remitting clinical course and pregnancy-related complications in SLE remain unclear. In this review, we hypothesize a potential role for uterine endometrium through its production of relaxin, a peptide hormone, as a "missing-link" to explain this female predominance, variable clinical course and obstetric complications operating in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.
authors.forename: Madhusoothanan Bhagavathi
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Perumal
authors.forename: Saranya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhanasekaran
mesh_terms: D015551:Autoimmunity; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism; D012065:Relaxin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D012065:Relaxin
keywords: Autoimmunity; Endometrium; Macrophages; Relaxin; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus