Unraveling SLAN+/- monocytes transcriptomics in lupus and extracellular vesicles effects

Lupus Nephritis (LN) is a common and serious complication in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an immune complex-mediated disease. Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) can carry autoantigens recognized by circulating antibodies, forming immune complexes (ICs) that may deposit in the kidney and be detected by inflammatory cells like monocytes in LN class III/IV. The SLAN marker identifies a subset of non-classical monocytes considered highly inflammatory and migratory. However, the interactions between these blood components in the context of LN remain incompletely understood. We aimed to analyze the transcriptional profiles of circulating SLAN+/- monocytes from LN patients and assess the influence of patient-derived EVs on SLAN- monocyte gene expression.

SLAN+/- monocytes were isolated from female LN patients, and controls were matched by similar age. Plasma-derived EVs from LN patients were co-incubated with SLAN-monocytes from controls. Next-generation RNA sequencing was employed to evaluate gene expression profiles and changes induced by EVs, followed by bioinformatic analysis to identify differential gene expression and functional pathways.

Monocytes from LN patients exhibited an inflammatory profile characterized by elevated interferon response genes. The SLAN+ fraction displayed biological processes relevant to renal pathology, including cellular stress response, differentiation, and migration pathways. EVs elicited an inflammatory response with differentiation potential in non-SLAN monocytes.

These findings suggest that EVs transport antigenic molecules and induce transcriptional changes in monocytes toward inflammatory and migratory states, implicating them in LN pathogenesis and highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets.