New Insights Into The Relationship Between Early Apoptosis Of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells And The Damage Of Organ Or System In Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by an array of autoantibodies directed against the native nucleosome (nucleosome-specific antibodies), its DNA component (bona fide anti-dsDNA antibodies), and its histone component (bona fide antihistone-specific antibodies) which together compose the large family of antinucleosome antibodies. SLE is associated with a diverse array of clinical manifestations and may affect different organ systems, including lupus nephritis, which is one of the most serious complications in SLE. The etiology of SLE is still unknown so far, and its etiopathogenesis is multifactorial. Multiple genetic and environmental factors, including viruses and other infectious agents, drugs, hormonal factors, and immunological abnormality may contribute to the disease. Insight into the pathogenesis of SLE, however, has deepened in recent years. In particular studies on apoptosis and clearance of apoptotic cells in lupus have shed a new and intriguing light on the development and course of the disease.Apoptosis as early as described by Kerr JFR et al in 1972, also known as programmed cell death (PCD), an essential developmental and homeostatic mechanism, is the preferred physiologic death process for cells and an important immune-response...