TLR7 and systemic lupus erythematosus: For example, TLR7 is involved in several steps of the pathogenesis of SLE (Barrat et al., 2007; Deane et al., 2007; Vollmer et al., 2005), and subendothelial deposits of nucleic acids in immune complexes are a feature of a proportion of SLE patients (Hill et al., 2001; Hill et al., 2000).