ABSTRACT
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem disease that is caused by antibody production and comple ment fixing immune complex deposition that results in tissue damage. As potentially many different antibodies can be produced in SLE patients, the different organ specific targets of these antibodies can cause a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, which are characterized by remissions and exacerbations. The pathogenic immune responses probably result from environmental triggers acting in the setting of certain susceptibility genes. Ultraviolet light and certain drugs are the only known environmental triggers identified to date.
