By Klara Ruppova, Anna Dostalova, Natalie Russi, Jana Sponarova and Philip Zimmermann
© NEBION AG. December 18, 2019

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a very heterogeneous manifestation affecting mainly the skin, kidneys, joints and the central nervous system. Despite advances in research on SLE pathology, its diagnosis remains challenging, especially due to its heterogeneity. Therefore, the demand for biomarkers that contribute to early diagnosis and better disease monitoring is high. Gene expression-based biomarkers represent a powerful tool in several clinical areas and are currently also under intense investigation for SLE.

In this study (Download PDF), we demonstrate the use of GENEVESTIGATOR^® for generating an SLE gene expression signature from blood samples of SLE patients and healthy donors. Furthermore, this signature is co- analyzed with a compendium of gene expression data sets from a large variety of different autoimmune diseases. This is an important approach to better understand molecular changes associated with SLE and to differentiate disease-specific from common autoimmune-related changes.