Using a cutoff of two standard deviations above the mean anti-DNase1L3 antibody level in healthy sera, 30% (48/158) of SLE patients versus 1.6% (1/62) of healthy controls were positive for anti-DNase1L3 antibodies (P < 0.0001). This evidence concerns the gene DNASE1L3 and systemic lupus erythematosus.