Profiles of gene expression in human autoimmune disease

Human autoimmune diseases arise from complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors, result from immune attack upon target tissues, and affect 3-5% of the population. We compared gene expression profiles (>4000 genes) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal individuals after immunization to individuals with four different autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and multiple sclerosis). All autoimmune individuals, including unaffected first-degree relatives, share a common gene expression profile that is completely distinct from the immune profile. Therefore, this expression pattern is not simply a recapitulation of the immune response to nonself, is not a result of the disease process, and results, as least in part, from genetic factors. Surprisingly, these genes are clustered in chromosomal domains suggesting there is some genome-wide logic to this unique expression pattern. These data argue that that there is a constant pattern of gene expression in autoimmunity that is independent of the specific autoimmune disease and clinical parameters associated with any individual autoimmune disease.