Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or “lupus”) is an autoimmune disorder that can affect multiple organs, including the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. SLE diagnosis can be difficult because of varying symptoms which have different durations and effects on patients. This difficulty can cause lupus to be a fatal disease if misdiagnosed. SLE predominantly affects women of non-European descent, and is estimated to affect more than 250,000 patients in the United States. While SLE symptoms can be managed by immuno-suppression therapy, there are presently no cures.
While several clinical markers presently exist for SLE, these markers have poor sensitivity and specificity, limiting their effectives. Given the complexity of SLE diagnosis, the broad populations it impacts, and the number of treatments available and in development, effective biomarkers are needed both for diagnosis and to better stratify patient samples so that appropriate treatments can be administered to improve patient survival and quality of life.
Disclosed herein are biomarkers and methods that provide method for detecting and diagnosing SLE.