Hormones

The overwhelming preponderance of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in women, and the increased incidence and severity of disease during the reproductive years clearly point to a role for female gender and hormones in disease pathogenesis. Cells of the innate and adaptive immune system bear receptors for sex hormones and respond to hormonal cues. Hormones contribute to the development, physiology, and function of immune cells and regulate both innate and adaptive immune responses. Alterations in the hormone milieu or in the cellular responses to hormones are important contributing factors in the pathophysiology of SLE. This chapter reviews the role of hormones in regulating the immune response and in the pathogenesis of SLE.