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Type I Interferon Gene Expression and Its Association With Ocular Involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Raphael Teixeira Costa1, Werbson Lima Guaraná2, Braziliano Miguel da Silva Júnior2
1University Hospital, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil.
ACR Open Rheumatology
|January 30, 2026
Summary
Type I interferon (IFN-I) gene expression is elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and eye complications. This finding suggests IFN-I may contribute to the development of ocular issues in SLE patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Ophthalmology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Type I interferons (IFN-I) are implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis.
- The role of IFN-I gene expression in ocular manifestations of SLE remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between IFN-I gene signature and ophthalmologic involvement in SLE patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 32 SLE patients meeting EULAR/ACR criteria.
- Ophthalmologic evaluation and gene expression analysis (IFI27, IFI44L, IFIT1, ISG15, RSAD2, SIGLEC1) using real-time PCR.
- Calculation of an "Interferon Score" based on normalized gene expression.
Main Results:
- Ocular involvement was present in 62.5% of SLE patients.
- Significantly higher IFN-I gene expression (FC = 2.52 ± 1.96; P = 0.0027) was observed in patients with ocular involvement compared to those without.
Conclusions:
- Upregulated IFN-I gene expression is associated with ophthalmologic involvement in SLE.
- IFN-I may play a role in the pathogenesis of ocular complications in SLE.
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