Systemic lupus erythematosus is a complex immunological disease where both environmental factors and genetic predisposition lead to the dysregulation of important immune mechanisms. Eventually, the combination of these factors leads to the production of self-reactive antibodies that can target any organ or tissue of the human body. Autoantibodies can form immune complexes responsible for both the organ damage and the most severe complications. Involvement of the central nervous system defines a subcategory of the disease, generally known with the denomination of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Neuropsychiatric symptoms can range from relatively mild manifestations, such as headache, to more severe complications, such as psychosis. The evaluation of the presence of the autoantibodies in the serum of these patients is the most helpful diagnostic tool for the assessment of the disease. The scientific progresses achieved in the last decades helped researchers and physicians to discover some of autoepitopes targeted by the autoantibodies, although the majority of them have not been identified yet. Additionally, the central nervous system is full of epitopes that cannot be found elsewhere in the human body, for this reason, autoantibodies that selectively target these epitopes might be used for the differential diagnosis between patients with and without the neuropsychiatric symptoms. In this review, the most relevant data is reported with regard to mechanisms implicated in the production of autoantibodies and the most important autoantibodies found among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with and without the neuropsychiatric manifestations.

系统性红斑狼疮是一种复杂的免疫性疾病，环境因素和遗传易感性导致重要免疫机制失调。最终，这些因素的结合导致产生可针对人体任何器官或组织的自身反应性抗体。自身抗体可以形成免疫复合物，导致器官损伤和最严重的并发症。中枢神经系统的受累定义了该疾病的一个亚类，通常称为神经精神系统性红斑狼疮。神经精神症状的范围可以从相对轻微的表现（例如头痛）到更严重的并发症（例如精神病）。评估这些患者血清中自身抗体的存在是评估疾病最有用的诊断工具。过去几十年取得的科学进步帮助研究人员和医生发现了自身抗体针对的一些自身表位，尽管其中大多数尚未被识别。此外，中枢神经系统充满了在人体其他部位找不到的表位，因此，选择性靶向这些表位的自身抗体可能用于区分有和没有神经精神症状的患者。在这篇综述中，报告了与自身抗体产生有关的机制以及在有或没有神经精神表现的系统性红斑狼疮患者中发现的最重要的自身抗体的最相关数据。