Genetic regulation of serum cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus.

ABSTRACT: Genetic association studies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been extremely successful in recent years, identifying several loci associated with disease susceptibility. Much work remains to integrate these loci into the functional pathogenic pathways that characterize the disease. Our working hypothesis is that many genetic variations linked to SLE and autoimmunity mediate the risk of disease by altering cytokine profiles or responses to cytokine signaling. Genetic polymorphisms that affect cytokine signaling could alter thresholds for immune responses, resulting in proinflammatory presentation of self-antigens and the subsequent misdirection of adaptive immunity against self, which is observed in autoimmune disease. SLE is clinically heterogeneous and genetically complex, and we

SUBMITTER: Kariuki SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2827336 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature