Treatment with anti-CD154 mAbs prior to disease onset prevents proteinuria, prolongs survival, ameliorates or even prevents kidney disease, and decreases anti-DNA autoantibody titers in the New Zealand Black/New Zealand White F1 systemic lupus erythematosus (NZBxNZW) F1 and (SWRxNZB) F1 mice models. This evidence concerns the gene CD40LG and systemic lupus erythematosus.