title: The real culprit in systemic lupus erythematosus: abnormal epigenetic regulation.
abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease involving multiple organs and the presence of anti-nuclear antibodies. The pathogenesis of SLE has been intensively studied but remains far from clear. B and T lymphocyte abnormalities, dysregulation of apoptosis, defects in the clearance of apoptotic materials, and various genetic and epigenetic factors are attributed to the development of SLE. The latest research findings point to the association between abnormal epigenetic regulation and SLE, which has attracted considerable interest worldwide. It is the purpose of this review to present and discuss the relationship between aberrant epigenetic regulation and SLE, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNAs in patients with SLE, the possible mechanisms of immune dysfunction caused by epigenetic changes, and to better understand the roles of aberrant epigenetic regulation in the initiation and development of SLE and to provide an insight into the related therapeutic options in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, China. chriswu1010@126.com.
authors.forename: Haijing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, China. zhaoming307@126.com.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. c3chang@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenomics, Changsha 410011, China. qianlu5860@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Qianjin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D056572:Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: DNA methylation; SLE; epigenetics; histone modification; microRNA