The Interferon-signature of Sjögren’s Syndrome: How Unique Biomarkers Can Identify Underlying Inflammatory and Immunopathological Mechanisms of Specific Diseases

• Main Authors: Cuong eNguyen, Ammon B. Peck
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2013-07-01
• Series: Frontiers in Immunology
• Subjects: Gene Expression Profiling; Interferons; Animal Models; biomarkers; Human Disease; sjogren syndrome
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2013.00142/full
• ISSN: 1664-3224

Innate immune responses direct the nature and specificity of downstream adaptive responses in autoimmune diseases. One of the strongest markers of innate immunity is the up-regulated expression of interferon (IFN) and IFN-responsive/stimulated genes (IRGs/ISGs). While multiple IRGs are induced during the innate phase of host responses, transcriptome data suggest unique IRG-signatures for different diseases. Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS) is characterized by chronic immune attacks against exocrine glands leading to exocrine dysfunction, plus strong up-regulated expressions of IFN IRG transcripts. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses indicate that differentially-expressed IRGs are restricted during disease development and therefore define underlying etiopathological mechanisms. Here we review the innate immune-associated IFN-signature of SjS and show how differential gene expressions of IRG/ISG sets interact molecularly and biologically to identify critical details of SjS etiopathogenesis.