Department of Medicine, Juntendo University, Izu-Nagaoka Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan.
Retroviruses have repeatedly been suggested as a possible trigger mechanism for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We review the role of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 envelope glycoprotein (gp120) in the induction of immune dysregulation including autoimmunity in HIV-1 infection, and discuss the possible relationship between HIV and SLE in the retroviral etiology.