Peripheral blood transcriptomic analysis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease reveals: distinct molecular signature with evidence of humoral and myeloid immunity
Authors' conclusion
In this preliminary study, RA-ILD patients exhibit enhanced immune responses, metabolism and cytokine activation.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with RA-ILD, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without interstitial lung disease (ILD), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and healthy controls
- Participants
- 11 / 10 / 23 / 7
- Comparison
- RA-ILD vs RA non-ILD, PsA and healthy controls
- RA-ILDn = 11
- RA non-ILDn = 10
- PsAn = 23
- Healthy controls (HC)n = 7reference
- Outcome
- Peripheral blood gene expression profile of RA-ILD
Methodological detailsperipheral blood RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), differential gene expression, pathway and enrichment analysis, drug repurposing analysis, comparison with public SSc-ILD RNA-seq data
- Peripheral blood RNA-seq
- Differential gene expression, pathway and enrichment analysis
- Drug repurposing analysis
- Comparison with public SSc-ILD RNA-seq data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Differential expression in RA-ILD
- Enrichment in immune response pathways, metabolism, IFNα and IFNγ response in RA-ILD
Further findings
Clinical and/or radiological progressors vs non-progressors (RA-ILD subgroup)
- Enriched pathways in progressors: cell cycle, DNA replication, IFNγ response, inflammasome assembly, negative regulation of immune response
Drug repurposing
- ITK, Syk and FAK inhibitors are candidate compounds potentially reversing the RA-ILD progression signature
RA-ILD vs SSc-ILD
- Shared pathways: metabolism, extracellular matrix, IFNγ response, response to microorganisms
Original publication
Peripheral blood transcriptomic analysis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease reveals: distinct molecular signature with evidence of humoral and myeloid immunity. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 6 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →