As shown in Fig. 2, a high-salt diet significantly increased mortality and accelerated the onset of lupus nephritis (Fig. 2A), as evidenced by higher levels of proteinuria (Fig. 2B), plasma levels of anti-dsDNA IgG antibodies and IgG1 (Fig. 2C), lupus-like histological alterations (Fig. 2E), and C3a and IgG deposits in glomeruli (Fig. 2F). This evidence concerns the gene C3 and systemic lupus erythematosus.