Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Inflammation-related proteomics of extracellular vesicles as novel biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by proximity extension assay
Authors' conclusion
The present study identified a unique pattern EV-derived inflammatory proteins in patients with SLE, which could serve as novel biomarkers for SLE diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Study context
- Population
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and healthy controls; discovery cohort (serum EV proximity extension assay (PEA)) and independent validation cohort (54 SLE, 58 healthy controls (HCs); ELISA)discovery and validation cohorts
- Participants
- 70 vs 33
- Exposure
- SLE vs healthy controls
- SLEn = 70
- HCsn = 33reference
- Outcome
- Inflammatory protein profile of serum EVs and its diagnostic utility for SLE and LN
Methodological detailsproximity extension assay discovery cohort, independent ELISA validation cohort, machine-learning classification (random forest)
- Proximity extension assay discovery cohort
- Independent ELISA validation cohort
- Machine-learning classification (random forest)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Serum EV inflammatory proteins (discovery cohort)
Significantly dysregulated inflammatory proteins in SLE serum extracellular vesicles (EVs)
49
Elevated proteins
43
RF model AUC for SLE identification
0.999
RF model AUC for lupus nephritis (LN) discrimination
0.793
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Correlation of EV proteins with SLE severity parameters
- CCL23, IL-18R1, SCF and CSF-1 showed a significant correlation with SLEDAI, eGFR and UACR
Original publication
Inflammation-related proteomics of extracellular vesicles as novel biomarkers for systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by proximity extension assay. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 13 November 2025. doi:10.
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