Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Dec 21.
Published in final edited form as: J Invest Dermatol. 2021 Jun 22;142(3 Pt B):849–856. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.05.007

Figure 1: Overview of differential effects of UV light on healthy vs. lupus skin.

Figure 1:

In healthy skin (left), UV light generates an immunosuppressive environment characterized by efficient clearance of apoptotic cells, immune cell activation, and secretion of protective/suppressive cytokines including type I interferons (IFNs) and IL-10. In lupus skin, UV light exposure is inflammatory secondary to increased immune cell infiltration, inhibition of negative regulatory mechanisms, and amplified production of type I IFNs that enhance keratinocyte apoptosis. Apoptotic cells are not efficiently cleared resulting in increased autoantigen exposure, immune complex formation, and lesion development.