The therapeutic management of systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE) is still a great
debate. Despite the latest innovation agents or developing trials, there is not an
integrated and common approach for treating SLE. For decades, natural and synthetic
glucocorticoids (GCs) have been the first and most frequently used immune suppressive
agents in SLE. Therefore, GCs are the most important therapy in SLE in daily routine,
however the response to GCs differs widely and long-term therapy is associated with
side-effects. Still now, clinicians and physicians are unable to predict the exact
and ideal dose and term of therapy for patients suffering from various symptoms and
degree of disease activity of SLE. The biological mechanism of GCs is regulated through
activation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). There are two major isoforms of GRs:
GRalpha and GRbeta; however, the GRalpha is the predominant one which binds steroids
and activates target genes. In the present review, we summarise the anti-inflammatory
and immune suppressive effects of GCs via GRs to regulate the target genes.
