CD4 and systemic lupus erythematosus: Supporting this genetic evidence, it was shown that, in human SLE, the expression of GAS5 in plasma, as well as in CD4+ T cells and B cells, was decreased compared with healthy controls [44] and that GAS5 is involved in the apoptosis and growth arrest of human T cells, which are fundamental for the pathogenesis of SLE [99,100,101].