Relationships between type 1 IFN signatures and clinical features of the newly-onset lupus patients in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationships between type 1 interferon (T1-IFN) signatures and clinical characteristic in lupus patients.

METHODS: We examined 49 patients with newly-onset patients, who were diagnosed between 1999 and 2017. The patients treated with more than 10 mg of prednisolone or hydroxychloroquine were excluded from this study. Serum T1-IFN signatures were revealed by a functional reporter assay, and standardized by recombinant IFN-α. Patient backgrounds, clinical findings and treatments were retrospectively extracted from their electrical medical records. Clinical data were also available, including SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) of SLE patients on admission.

RESULTS: Type 1 IFN signatures of lupus patients closely correlated with lupus disease activity, such as SLEDAI-2K, WBC, C3 levels and the titer of ds-DNA antibody. We found fever and acute lupus dermatitis closely associated with T1-IFN signature.

CONCLUSIONS: In lupus patients, fever and acute lupus dermatitis are good indicators of a strong type 1 IFN signature.