Continuously stimulated T cells in lupus are likely to contribute to the disease by secreting inflammatory cytokines and supporting B cells to produce a wide variety of high affinity autoantibodies through contact-dependent mechanisms (mediated by CD40L:CD40, OX40L:OX40, and so on), which is an important characteristic of SLE. This evidence concerns the gene TNFRSF4 and systemic lupus erythematosus.