The contribution of macrophages to systemic lupus erythematosus.

As a heterogeneous autoimmune disease associated with severe organ damage, the precise mechanisms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remain to be clarified. Recent research indicates that innate immunity plays vital roles in SLE. Defects in the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, aberrant activation and imbalanced polarization of macrophages, have been shown to participate in the pathogenesis of SLE. Treatments targeting these processes may ameliorate the disease activity in lupus models as well as in patients with SLE. Macrophages participate in the initiation of autoimmunity and the development of SLE in multiple levels. Better understanding of this complex disease is the prerequisite for exploring more effective therapies of SLE.