ABSTRACT
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by production of autoantibodies against DNA, and immune-complex deposition culminating in visceral organ damage and vasculopathy. Despite the lack of gold standard in lupus diagnosis, antinuclear antibodies assay remains a critical component of laboratory assessment whenever SLE or systemic rheumatic disease is suspected. In humans, clinical expression of SLE is preceded by the progressive accumulation of specific autoantibodies over 9 years prior to diagnosis. SLE is a complex disease that involves a wide range of immune and nonimmune cells, in which dissecting the disease mechanisms is indeed a daunting task. Mechanistic target of rapamycin is an evolutionally conserved serine-threonine kinase, which translates a variety of environmental cues to signals that dictate cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, and has emerged as a central regulator of T cell proliferation and differentiation.
