Environmental Factors Involved in the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that predominantly affects women and is characterized by widespread immunologic abnormalities. The disease involves multiple organs including the skin, joints, and kidney, as well as the peripheral and central nervous systems. Significant progress has been made to elucidate the role of several loci and genes on the pathogenesis of SLE. In addition to the studies of genetic factors involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, progress has also been made on identifying environmental factors involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Therefore, overview of the environmental factors in the pathogenesis of SLE is quite informative for all researchers in the world. In this review, we discuss the historical and recent findings on the role of possible environmental factors such as sex hormones, viral infections (Epstein-Barr virus, Human Cytomegalovirus, Parvovirus B19, Retroviruses), ultraviolet radiation, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption on SLE. In addition, I propose an interesting interaction between infectious agents, microRNAs and antidsDNA antibody production in the pathogenesis of SLE.