Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototype of autoimmune diseases with multiple autoantigens as targets,resulting in damage to many organs of the body. The disease is more common in females (> 90%) and around 15% of the cases present during childhood.Systemic lupus erythematosus is a complex disease in which both genetic (susceptibility/protection alleles) and environmental factors (infections, drugs, stress, etc.) contribute to its development.The current knowledge on genetic factors involved in SLE is based on the results of linkage analyses in multi-case families as well as from case-control or family-based genetic association studies. These types of genetic analyses have contributed to identifying susceptibility genes and constitute the first step towards understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying SLE.The aim of this review is to provide a current picture of the genes identified as susceptibility factors for SLE, and to highlight the ones described in the Mexican population.