Rheumatology: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

The Important Roles of C4d in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Juan Li and Zhuoli Zhang

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of various autoantibodies and the injury of multiple systems. It is well known that the complement system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Complement activation product C4d is a marker of the classical complement activation and hence can be used to reflect the tissue injury as well as therapeutic effects. Besides its important role in antibody-mediated rejection, C4d has been increasingly recognized as a potential biomarker in SLE. Here we will summarize the recent advances of C4d in SLE.