SLE is a multisystem autoimmune disease whose etiology and pathogenesis are incompletely understood. The development of autoimmunity in SLE has been attributed to a loss of self-tolerance due to inadequate central or peripheral deletion or silencing of autoreactive lymphocytes, leading to multiple autoantibody specificities (3). Dysregulated apoptosis and inadequate removal of apoptotic cells and nuclear remnants may contribute to autoimmunity by causing prolonged exposure of the immune system to nuclear and cell membrane components (4). The characteristic development of autoantibodies to DNA and other nuclear antigens, as well as to membrane phospholipids, support the relevance of both mechanisms (5,6⇓). In addition to established genetic predisposition, altered immunoregulatory factors or environmental stimuli may trigger autoimmune phenomena in certain populations. Recent studies have ascribed specific genetic linkages to the development of renal disease in SLE among certain ethnic groups, including European American and African American populations, some of which may determine the severity of the glomerular disease (7).