Transcripts differentially expressed in healthy blood mDCs compared to healthy monocytes

To directly compare the SLE monocyte transcriptional program with that of blood mDC precursors, we purified lineage HLA-DRhighCD11chigh mDCs and CD14+ monocytes from the blood of five healthy donors. Their gene expression profiles were then compared to those of blood SLE monocytes. An unsupervised clustering analysis of transcripts present in >20% of the samples classified healthy monocytes, SLE monocytes and healthy mDCs into three well defined groups. A supervised analysis was then performed to find genes: 1) differentially expressed in healthy mDCs compared to monocytes; 2) shared by healthy blood mDCs and SLE blood monocytes. To directly compare the SLE monocyte transcriptional program with that of blood mDC precursors, we purified lineage HLA-DRhighCD11chigh mDCs and CD14+ monocytes from the blood of five healthy donors. Their gene expression profiles were then compared to those of blood SLE monocytes. An unsupervised clustering analysis of transcripts present in >20% of the samples classified healthy monocytes, SLE monocytes and healthy mDCs into three well defined groups. A supervised analysis was then performed to find genes: 1) differentially expressed in healthy mDCs compared to monocytes; 2) shared by healthy blood mDCs and SLE blood monocytes.