REVIEW - Catecholoestrogens: possible role in SLE

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Rheumatology Advance Access published online on August 3, 2009

Rheumatology, doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kep168

Review

Catecholoestrogens: possible role in systemic lupus erythematosus

Wahid Ali Khan1, Moin Uddin2, Mohd. Wajid Ali Khan3 and Harvinder S. Chabbra4

1Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Medical

Science, King Khalid University, Abha, KSA, 2Department of

Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, J. N. Medical College, A. M. U.

Aligarh, India, 3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical

Sciences, Al-Gomail, University of 7th of April, Zawia, Libya and

4Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, Vasant Kunj, India.

Abstract

It is well established that risk of developing SLE is higher among

women compared with men but only very little is understood about the

underlying mechanisms. Oestrogen and their catechol metabolites seem

to play an important role in SLE but the exact patho-aetiology remains

elusive. The evidences concerning the possibility of

catecholoestrogens (CEs) in the development of SLE are very limited

and preliminary. The possible mechanism involves quinone–semiquinone

redox cycling of CEs to generate the free radical that can cause DNA

damage. This would probably alter its immunogenicity leading to the

induction and elevated levels of SLE autoantibodies cross-reacting

with native DNA. The data demonstrate the possible role of CE in

presenting unique neo-epitopes that might form one of the factors in

induction of SLE autoantibodies. However, the role of oestrogen in

immune modulation cannot be rule out as a mediator of various

immune-related diseases.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kep168v1?papetoc

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