Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025
Analyses of Proteinuria, Renal Infiltration of Leukocytes, and Renal Deposition of Proteins in Lupus-prone MRL/lpr Mice
Published on: June 8, 2022
Cytotoxic Molecules as Potential Biomarkers for Active and Inactive Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
Paola Santana-Sánchez1,2, Astrid Asminda Ramírez-Pérez3, Paolo Alberti-Minutti4
1Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad (UMAE) Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico.
Higher levels of cytotoxic molecules like perforin and granulysin in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients indicate active disease. These markers, along with CD8+ cell proportions, could improve SLE disease monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with unpredictable flares.
- Current biomarkers for predicting SLE reactivation are insufficient.
- Understanding molecular differences between inactive and active SLE is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify potential biomarkers for predicting SLE disease activity.
- To investigate serum cytokines and cytotoxic molecules in inactive SLE (iSLE) and active SLE (aSLE).
Main Methods:
- Fifty-five SLE patients were categorized into iSLE (n=36) and aSLE (n=19) groups.
- Serum levels of cytokines, cytotoxic molecules, and CD8+ cells were analyzed using flow cytometry and principal component analysis (PCA).
- Seventeen healthy donors (HDs) served as controls.
Main Results:
- Serum perforin and granulysin levels were significantly elevated in aSLE compared to iSLE patients.
- sFas levels were higher in both SLE groups versus HDs.
- Increased perforin and granulysin correlated with higher SLEDAI-2K scores; cytotoxic cell proportions correlated with disease activity.
Conclusions:
- Elevated cytotoxic molecules (perforin, granulysin) and increased CD8+ cell proportions are associated with active SLE.
- These cytotoxic markers may serve as valuable predictors of SLE disease activity.
- Integrating cytotoxic markers with existing biomarkers could enhance SLE monitoring and treatment strategies.
