Possible Role of DNA Methylation in the Induction of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Title: Possible Role of DNA Methylation in the Induction of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Volume: 3 Issue: 1

Author(s): Iwao Sekigawa, Mikiko Kawasaki, Hitoshi Ogasawara, Hiroshi Kaneko, Yoshinari Takasaki, Hiroshi Hashimoto and Hideoki Ogawa

Affiliation:

Keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus, DNA methylation, CpG motif, human endogenous retroviruses, toll-like receptor

Abstract: Recent studies on epigenetics, including DNA methylation and its regulatory enzymes, seem to contribute to elucidation of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), although the relationship between DNA methylation and SLE has long been the subject of investigation. To obtain a deeper understanding of the role of DNA methylation in the induction of SLE, we reviewed the relationship between DNA methylation and SLE based on findings reported in the literature and our own data. Various studies, including ours, have indicated the possible importance of DNA methylation, especially hypomethylation, in the etiology of SLE. These epigenetic studies may give us clues towards elucidation of the pathogenesis of SLE and development of new therapeutic strategies for this disease.

Cite this article as:

Sekigawa Iwao, Kawasaki Mikiko, Ogasawara Hitoshi, Kaneko Hiroshi, Takasaki Yoshinari, Hashimoto Hiroshi and Ogawa Hideoki, Possible Role of DNA Methylation in the Induction of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Current Rheumatology Reviews 2007; 3 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339707779815812

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339707779815812	Print ISSN 1573-3971
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6360