Abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with the involvement of multiple organ systems.The pathogenesis remains largely unknown.Epigenetics refers to stable and heritable changes in gene expression without changes in underlying DNA sequence.The major epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation,histone modification and microRNA.Many studies have shown that epigenetic abnormalities are closely correlated with the pathogenesis of SLE.This review describes the roles of DNA methylation,histone modification and microRNA in the pathogenesis of SLE.