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Review
. 2022 Dec 15;23(24):15998.
doi: 10.3390/ijms232415998.

Unraveling the Link between Interferon-α and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From the Molecular Mechanisms to Target Therapies

Barbara Infante  1 , Silvia Mercuri  1 , Andrea Dello Strologo  1 , Rossana Franzin  2 , Valeria Catalano  3 , Dario Troise  1 , Emanuela Cataldo  2 , Paola Pontrelli  2 , Carlo Alfieri  4   5 , Valentina Binda  4 , Giulia Frontini  4 , Giuseppe Stefano Netti  3 , Elena Ranieri  3 , Loreto Gesualdo  2 , Giuseppe Castellano  4   5 , Giovanni Stallone  1
Affiliations
Review

Unraveling the Link between Interferon-α and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From the Molecular Mechanisms to Target Therapies

Barbara Infante et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical expressions. The kidney is often affected, usually within 5 years of the onset of SLE, and lupus nephropathy (LN) carries a high risk for increased morbidity. The clinical heterogeneity of the disease is accompanied by complex disturbances affecting the immune system with inflammation and tissue damage due to loss of tolerance to nuclear antigens and the deposition of immune complexes in tissues. Several studies have reported that in human SLE, there is an important role of the Type-I-interferons (INF) system suggested by the upregulation of INF-inducible genes observed in serial gene expression microarray studies. This review aims to describe the transduction pathways of Type-I-interferons, in particular INFα, and its immune-regulatory function in the pathogenesis of SLE and, in particular, in LN. In addition, recent novelties concerning biologic therapy in LN will be discussed.

Keywords: interferon-α; lupus nephropathy; systemic lupus erytrematosus; type-I interferons.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the main regulators of INFα in SLE.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Regulation of INFα production by plasmacytoid DCs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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