Epidermal cytokines in murine lupus : Connective tissue diseases and the skin

Murine lupus and the analogous human disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans are characterized by multisystem disease accompanied by the production of numerous serum autoantibodies. The classic model of murine lupus is the New Zealand black mouse (NZB). In this strain anti-DNA antibodies are the most specific marker for the presence of murine lupus, in that this autoantibody parallels both the development and activity of the disease. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is known to exacerbate the disease in both the murine and the human disease