Genetics of SLE: Functional Relevance for Monocytes/Macrophages in Disease

Figure 1

Dysregulation of macrophage function in SLE. The ability of the immune system to regulate macrophage function is altered in patients suffering from SLE. SLE macrophages have a defect in apoptotic cell clearance, overproduce IL-21, IFNs, IL-10, IL-6, and NO, have enhanced antigen presentation capacity and are primed for activation, leading to a skew towards autoimmunity.