Serum Interferon Predicts Lupus Flares High levels of interferon-alpha linked with fourfold greater risk of flare within a year

The persistent presence of interferon-α may not merely be a marker of disease activity during apparent remission, but also may play a pathologic role in the disease. "Interferon-α overexpression could be an explanation of chronic fatigue, depression, and reduction of sleep secondary to the stimulation of the dopamine metabolism by interferon-α in the central neurological system," the authors suggested. Interferon-α also may participate in some of the processes linked with the accelerated atherosclerosis seen in SLE, such as endothelial cell damage. "These data suggest that for patients in clinical remission, return of serum interferon-α to normal values could become one of the objectives of https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology/lupus/82577?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2019-10-05&eun=g721819d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%202019-10-05&utm_term=NL_Daily_DHE_Active