title: Interferon pathway activation in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: The recognition that a multitude of interferon (IFN)- inducible genes are coordinately expressed in peripheral blood cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has contributed to considerable interest in the IFN pathway as a therapeutic target in lupus. Together with data that have accumulated over the past four decades implicating IFN-alpha in SLE, the gene expression data have resulted in emergence of this cytokine pathway as a focal point for understanding mechanisms of autoimmunity and inflammation in systemic autoimmune diseases. Assays that measure IFN-inducible gene expression in patient cells and tissues and plasma assays that quantify IFN-alpha protein are providing tools for identification of patients with active disease and who may be responsive to inhibition of the innate immune system component of the altered immune response in SLE. In addition, investigations of the mechanisms of induction of IFN pathway activation are suggesting clues to the triggers of autoimmunity in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA. crowm@hss.edu
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Crow
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D050835:Interferon Regulatory Factors; D016898:Interferon-alpha