Diverse molecular signatures observed in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Abstract

British Journal of DermatologyVolume 185, Issue 3 p. e147-e147 Plain Language Summary Diverse molecular signatures observed in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus First published: 02 September 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20612AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Linked Article: Zhu et al. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185:563–572. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease affecting the skin. It has been estimated there are approximately 4·0 patients with the condition per 100,000 people. It affects more women than men and more African Americans than other ethnicities. CLE is a clinically diverse disease and can be divided into several subtypes including subacute CLE, discoid lupus erythematosus and lupus erythematosus tumidus. Although CLE can have different clinical presentations, patients largely receive the same initial treatments. This study was conducted in Dallas, Texas, USA and aimed to assess the molecular diversity found in patients with CLE. Blood samples were collected from a racially and ethnically diverse group of patients with CLE (n = 62) and gene expression was then studied using RNA sequencing. Analysis of data revealed that there were six unique subsets or groups of patients with CLE. The demographics and clinical features of these subsets were compared. It was found that two mostly non-African American and subacute CLE groups had inflammation and neutrophil signatures. Three clusters of predominantly African American patients and patients with discoid lupus erythematosus had increased expression of genes that related to T cells. This study shows that the molecular diversity of patients with CLE may reveal greater variation in CLE than previously recognized from just the clinical presentation of the disease. Future studies to better understand this molecular diversity in CLE can aid in the development of more targeted treatments for these different subsets of patients with CLE. Volume185, Issue3September 2021Pages e147-e147 RelatedInformation