This longitudinal study focused on the relationship between lupus activity and the levels of intracellular proteins, phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 7 (pIRF7), caspase-9 and -10, and mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5). Ten patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were followed at clinics, and their disease activity indexes (SLEDAIs) were determined. Correlation analysis was used to test the influence of changes in intracellular markers on changes in SLEDAI score at two time points. All the patients were women with a median age of 43.5 years. Time to disease condition change varied from 30 to 283 days in this study (188.5 ± 74.31 days). The intracellular protein levels increased after regular follow-up and oral medication. Although there was a decreasing trend in SLEDAI scores in patients after regular follow-up and oral medication, the changes were not statistically significant. The statistical results were as follows: pIRF7 (r = -0.58, p = 0.04), MAVS (r = -0.587, p = 0.04), MDA5 (r = -0.914, p < 0.001), and caspase-10 (44 kDa) (r = 0.593, p = 0.04). The disease activity of SLE was inversely associated with levels of antiviral immunity. The antiviral immunity was represented with MDA5, MAVS, and pIRF7.
Keywords: antiviral immunity; caspase; disease activity; systemic lupus erythematosus.