REST and systemic lupus erythematosus: Intriguingly, we found that the interaction of the BLK promoter with a distal REST binding site located 115 kb away (Figure 2) is stronger on SLE risk haplotype, consistent with the repressive role of REST (repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor) (Ooi and Wood, 2007) and lower expression level of BLK gene on SLE risk haplotype.