Gene profiling reveals specific molecular pathways in the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis in Antiphospholipid syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus with Antiphospholipid Syndrome

The present gene expression array study of comparative gene profile in monocytes from patients with primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus with Antiphospholipid Syndrome demonstrates that the gene expression profiling allows the segregation of these highly related autoimmune diseases, with specific signatures explaining the pro-atherosclerotic, pro-thrombotic and inflammatory changes. One hundred and twenty six patients, forty one with APS, thirty one with SAPS and fifty four with SLE, as well as sixty one healthy donors were included in the study. Monocytes were purified from peripheral blood samples (non-monocytes depleting kit, Miltenyi Biotech, Bergisch Galdbach, Germany). Total RNA from monocytes was extracted using TRIzol reagent. RNA quality control was performed in a 2100 Bioanalyzer. Complementary RNAs from 3 APS patients, 3 SAPS patients, 3 SLE patients, and 3 healthy donors were prepared for hybridization in an Agilent G4112F platform (Whole human Genome microarray 44K) using the One-color gene expression system (Agilent technologies).