TLR4 and systemic lupus erythematosus: On the other hand, TLR4 can induce the production of various proinflammatory cytokines and is also involved in inflammatory responses in pancreatic islets, fat, liver and kidney tissues, all of which have been implicated in the development of diabetes and systemic lupus erythematosus (Wada and Makino, 2016; Zhang et al., 2016).