Reduced left ventricular function on cardiac MRI of SLE patients correlates with measures of disease activity and inflammation.

Background: Women with SLE have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. Many women with SLE frequently report chest pain in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), a form of ischemia with no obstructive CAD. Echocardiographic studies have shown that SLE patients have reduced left ventricular (LV) function, which may also correlate with higher SLE disease activity scores.

Reduced Left Ventricular Function on Cardiac MRI in SLE Patients Correlates with Measures of SLE Disease Activity and Inflammation.

Background: Women with SLE have an elevated risk of CVD morbidity and mortality and frequently report chest pain in the absence of obstructive CAD. Echocardiographic studies often demonstrate reduced LV function, correlating with higher disease activity. We used cardiac MRI (cMRI) to investigate the relationship between SLE, related inflammatory biomarkers and cardiac function in female SLE patients.

Regulation of cGAS-STING Pathway - Implications for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Type I interferon (IFN-I) is implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the closely associated monogenic autoinflammatory disorders termed the "interferonopathies." Recently, the cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS) and its downstream signaling adaptor stimulator of interferon genes (STING) have been identified as having important, if not central, roles in driving IFN-I expression in response to self-DNA. This review highlights the many ways in which this pathway is regulated in order to prevent self-DNA recognition and underlines the importance of maintaining tight control in order to prevent autoimmune disease.