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C-Reactive Protein Levels in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Are Modulated by the Interferon Gene Signature and CRP Gene Polymorphism rs1205

Enocsson, Helena ; Gullstrand, Birgitta LU ; Eloranta, Maija Leena ; Wetterö, Jonas ; Leonard, Dag ; Rönnblom, Lars ; Bengtsson, Anders A. LU and Sjöwall, Christopher (2021) In Frontiers in Immunology 11.
Abstract

Objectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often display modest elevations of C-reactive protein (CRP) despite raised disease activity and increased interleukin (IL-) 6. We asked to what extent IL-6 levels, the CRP polymorphism rs1205, and the type I interferon (IFN) gene signature affects the basal CRP levels in patients with SLE during a quiescent phase of the disease. Methods: CRP and IL-6 were analyzed in plasma from 57 patients meeting established classification criteria for SLE. The CRP polymorphism rs1205 was assessed and gene expression analyzed including four type I IFN-regulated genes (IGS). Results: CRP was increased in patients with detectable IL-6 levels (p=0.001) and decreased among IGS-positive subjects... (More)

Objectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often display modest elevations of C-reactive protein (CRP) despite raised disease activity and increased interleukin (IL-) 6. We asked to what extent IL-6 levels, the CRP polymorphism rs1205, and the type I interferon (IFN) gene signature affects the basal CRP levels in patients with SLE during a quiescent phase of the disease. Methods: CRP and IL-6 were analyzed in plasma from 57 patients meeting established classification criteria for SLE. The CRP polymorphism rs1205 was assessed and gene expression analyzed including four type I IFN-regulated genes (IGS). Results: CRP was increased in patients with detectable IL-6 levels (p=0.001) and decreased among IGS-positive subjects (p=0.033). A multiple linear regression model revealed IL-6 to have a positive association with CRP levels, whereas both IGS-positivity and CRP genotype (rs1205) AA/GA were negatively associated with CRP-levels. Conclusion: Our data offer an explanation to the modest CRP levels seen in viral infections and IFN-α driven autoimmunity and corroborate prior observations showing an IFN-α dependent downregulation of CRP. The latter observation, together with the fact that the CRP-lowering polymorphism rs1205 is overrepresented in human SLE, could explain low basal CRP and inadequate CRP-responses among patients with active SLE.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biomarker, C-reactive protein, gene variants, inflammation, interferon, pentraxins, systemic lupus erythematosus, type I interferons
in
Frontiers in Immunology
volume
11
article number
622326
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
external identifiers
  • pmid:33584722
  • scopus:85100965655
ISSN
1664-3224
DOI
10.3389/fimmu.2020.622326
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6004cd35-dbad-460d-8671-7a15ba18b814
date added to LUP
2021-03-02 09:32:07
date last changed
2024-06-14 10:31:25
@article{6004cd35-dbad-460d-8671-7a15ba18b814,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often display modest elevations of C-reactive protein (CRP) despite raised disease activity and increased interleukin (IL-) 6. We asked to what extent IL-6 levels, the CRP polymorphism rs1205, and the type I interferon (IFN) gene signature affects the basal CRP levels in patients with SLE during a quiescent phase of the disease. Methods: CRP and IL-6 were analyzed in plasma from 57 patients meeting established classification criteria for SLE. The CRP polymorphism rs1205 was assessed and gene expression analyzed including four type I IFN-regulated genes (IGS). Results: CRP was increased in patients with detectable IL-6 levels (p=0.001) and decreased among IGS-positive subjects (p=0.033). A multiple linear regression model revealed IL-6 to have a positive association with CRP levels, whereas both IGS-positivity and CRP genotype (rs1205) AA/GA were negatively associated with CRP-levels. Conclusion: Our data offer an explanation to the modest CRP levels seen in viral infections and IFN-α driven autoimmunity and corroborate prior observations showing an IFN-α dependent downregulation of CRP. The latter observation, together with the fact that the CRP-lowering polymorphism rs1205 is overrepresented in human SLE, could explain low basal CRP and inadequate CRP-responses among patients with active SLE.</p>}},
  author       = {{Enocsson, Helena and Gullstrand, Birgitta and Eloranta, Maija Leena and Wetterö, Jonas and Leonard, Dag and Rönnblom, Lars and Bengtsson, Anders A. and Sjöwall, Christopher}},
  issn         = {{1664-3224}},
  keywords     = {{biomarker; C-reactive protein; gene variants; inflammation; interferon; pentraxins; systemic lupus erythematosus; type I interferons}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Immunology}},
  title        = {{C-Reactive Protein Levels in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Are Modulated by the Interferon Gene Signature and CRP Gene Polymorphism rs1205}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.622326}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/fimmu.2020.622326}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}