DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Hopkins Lupus Cohort is a longitudinal study of over 2,300 SLE patients followed every 3 months by protocol. Through our collaborative effort and partnership with different institutions and by supplying patient samples, we will help answers many unanswered questions. Identifying the biological pathways of renal progression could result in targeted therapeutics. Our partnership would also help in identifying genes or gene signatures associated with SLE disease activity or related organ damage could elucidate the pathways by which pathology occurs and result in targeted treatments offered to the correct subset of patients. Also, by Identifying pathways that lead to flares in disease can be used to develop therapeutics to prevent flares.