Of mice and men: The relevance of the mouse to the study of human SLE

A number of mouse models have been utilized to study the pathophysiology of immune complex (IC) disease, and the hallmark IC disease systemic lupus er ythematosus (SLE). Many of these studies have provided exciting new insight s into IC-mediated inflammation and autoimmunity. However, numerous differe nces exist between mice and humans that suggest that mouse studies are not always applicable to human disease. These differences can be found in the b iological systems that interact with circulating TC, in the specifics of di sease presentation, and in the general physiology of the two species. Furth ermore, although the mechanisms of SLE-like autoimmune disease in the mouse are being defined through analyses of the murine models of SLE, it remains to be proven that these mechanisms are relevant to human SLE. Thus, genera lizing the results of the mouse studies to human SLE and other human IC dis eases must be done with caution.