Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Analyses of Proteinuria, Renal Infiltration of Leukocytes, and Renal Deposition of Proteins in Lupus-prone MRL/lpr Mice
Published on: June 8, 2022
Premature vascular damage in systemic lupus erythematosus
1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Graduate Program in Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5680, USA. makaplan@umich.edu
Abstract:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease associated with a striking increase in the risk of premature cardiovascular (CV) complications due to accelerated atherosclerosis. Traditional CV risk factors seem to be less important predictors of CV events than the presence of active SLE. Immune dysregulation characteristic of lupus appears to play the dominant role in atherogenesis. While both SLE-specific and non-specific mechanisms have been proposed to play a prominent role in the induction of premature vascular damage in this disease, the exact etiology remains unclear. We have proposed that an imbalance between vascular damage and repair likely induced by Interferon- could play a prominent role in the induction of accelerated atherosclerosis in SLE. This review summarizes some of the proposed mechanisms that may promote accelerated vascular damage in lupus and explores potential targets for CV risk prevention in this patient population.
Related Concept Videos
Peripheral Artery Disease I: Introduction
Overview of the Vascular System
Cytotoxic Edema: Pathophysiology
Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
Overview of Systemic Arteries
Systemic circulation is the part of the cardiovascular system that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body's tissues and returns deoxygenated blood back to the heart.