Systemic sclerosis and lupus: points in an interferon-mediated continuum.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate peripheral blood (PB) cell transcript profiles of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its subtypes in direct comparison with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

We investigated PB cell samples from 74 SSc patients, 21 healthy controls, and 17 SLE patients using Illumina Human Ref-8 BeadChips and quantitative polymerase chain reaction confirmation. None of the study participants were receiving immunosuppressive agents other than low-dose steroids and hydroxychloroquine. In addition to conventional statistical and modular analysis, a composite score for the interferon (IFN)-inducible genes was calculated. Within the group of patients with SSc, the correlation of the IFN score with the serologic and clinical subtypes was investigated, as were single-nu

SUBMITTER: Assassi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2879587 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature