SLE is a chronic, multisystemic, autoimmune disease that is characterized by the production and deposition of antibodies in tissues leading to inflammation.
- SLE is classified as a connective tissue disease.
- Most commonly affected tissues include the skin, joints, and kidneys.
- Circulating blood cells are also often affected.
- Typically affects young females.
Pathomechanism
The exact mechanism is unknown, but it is thought to arise in genetically susceptible individuals as a result of an environmental trigger (such as UV light causing tissue damage).
- During the apoptosis of damaged cells, nuclear fragments are also released, and in some individuals, are not cleared out rapidly enough.
- The nuclear fragments are highly antigenic, and when presented by APC to the adaptive immune system, lead to the production of antibodies against them (autoantibodies).
- These autoantibodies target the different components of the nucleus and DNA, circulate in the blood and deposit in tissues, causing inflammation due to both type II