Modern considerations on the predisposing factors in the etiopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease with severe skin involvement and/or multisystemic implications characterized by the development of autoantibodies and immune complexes that, in turn, cause inflammation, tissue damage and a variety of clinical manifestations. The etiopathogeny of lupus erythematosus is very complex and still incompletely discovered. The onset of this disease or the episodes of exacerbation involves various factors: genetic, immune, hormonal, environmental but many more are still under research. There is strong evidence to back up the theory of an autoimmune disease, even though the precise mechanism is yet to be discovered. Apart from a preexisting background predisposing to lupus, certain triggers are required to act in a synergic way to determine the onset of the clinical signs. Studies show that it is 10-15 times more common in women of childbearing age than men, with a higher incidence amongst Afro-American population compared to Caucasians. The aim of this article is to shed some light on the most important determining and trigger factors involved in systemic lupus erythematosus by reviewing the most recent published data