Immune Mechanisms and Biomarkers in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—Second Edition
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 45
Special Issue Editor
Interests: systemic lupus erythematosus; lupus nephritis; autoantibodies; biomarkers; B cells; outcome measures; treatment; biological therapies; health-related quality of life; patient-reported outcomes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue, entitled “Immune Mechanisms and Biomarkers in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus”.
The immense heterogeneity of the chronic, inflammatory, and autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), both with regard to immunological aberrancies and clinical manifestations, poses diagnostic difficulties and challenges in terms of patient management. This is underlined by the lack of generally accepted diagnostic criteria and numerous clinical trial failures. However, the treatment landscape has witnessed substantial changes during the last decade, facilitated by advances in technology and hence new knowledge on the pathophysiology of SLE.
SLE predominantly affects women during their fertile years of age. Early diagnosis and treatment initiation are important for the prevention of accumulated organ damage. The chronic nature of the disease and its varying course necessitate regular monitoring. The treatment of SLE mainly consists of antimalarial agents; glucocorticoids; non-biological, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs; and, more recently, biological agents, including B-cell-targeted therapies and an agent against the type I interferon receptor. The recent approval of new targeted therapies for SLE and lupus nephritis, one of the most severe clinical manifestations of SLE, and increasing awareness of the long-term adverse effects of glucocorticoids, changed the focus of research towards the optimization of therapeutic decision making, surveillance, and treatment evaluations, and technological advances have paved the way for the cellular and molecular characterization of SLE to serve as a basis for disease management. In this regard, the identification of reliable biomarkers is imperative.
Historically, biomarker studies in SLE have focused on serum biomarkers. Nevertheless, urinary, cerebrospinal fluid, and tissue biomarkers for organ-specific monitoring and prognostication are gaining increased interest. This Special Issue welcomes original works and review articles that focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying SLE at its different phases, with the goal of contributing novel knowledge of the pathogenesis of SLE and improved diagnostics, surveillance, the prevention of long-term damage, and overall patient management. Original works or review articles, which evaluate immune components that serve as diagnostic biomarkers, biomarkers of disease activity, or biomarkers of long-term outcomes, are also welcomed.
Dr. Ioannis Parodis
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- lupus nephritis
- neuropsychiatric lupus
- autoimmunity
- biomarkers
- B lymphocyte
- interferons
