Lupus, DNA Methylation, and Air Pollution: A Malicious Triad

Abstract

The pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains elusive to this day; however, genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors have been implicated to be involved in disease pathogenesis. Recently, it was demonstrated that in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, interferon-regulated genes are hypomethylated in naïve CD4+ T cells, CD19+ B lymphocytes, and CD14+ monocytes. This suggests that interferon-regulated genes may have been epigenetically poised in SLE patients for rapid expression upon stimulation by different environmental factors. Additionally, environmental studies have identified DNA (hypo)methylation changes as a potential mechanism of environmentally induced health effects in utero, during childhood and in adults. Finally, epidemiologic studies have firmly established air pollution as a crucial SLE risk factor, as studies showed an association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and traditional SLE biomarkers related to disease flare, hospital admissions, and an increased SLEDAI score. In this review, the relationship between aberrant epigenetic regulation, the environment, and the development of SLE will be discussed.

The Effect of Air Pollution on Rheumatic Diseases: A Review

“…3 Numerous preclinical studies have found that exposure to heavy metals, fine PM and gaseous pollutants can harm lymphocytes. [29][30][31][32] Inhalation of pollutants stimulates the the bronchusassociated lymphoid tissue to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines and, more importantly, autoantibodies. 33 The first and probably most notable example of such association comes from the observed relationship between silica dust exposure and RA.…”

Seguridad de la vacunación COVID-19 en una muestra de pacientes brasileños con lupus eritematoso sistémico

“…Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies against self-structures are synthesized 1 . The etiopathogenesis of this disease is multifactorial, and infections are supposed to play an important role in this context, as microorganisms may stimulate the immune system.…”