Liquid Biopsy Provides Insights into Lupus

“In our studies, PS− MPs in SLE were strongly associated with female gender, similar gender differences were not apparent in controls,” write the authors in their discussion. “This is an interesting observation, which should be further investigated as a possible clue to understand the striking female predominance in SLE. The high numbers of PS− MPs could result from masking of PS by other molecules, such as β2GP1 and annexin-V, which are abundant proteins in the circulation; both of these proteins can bind to PS.”

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

Reference

1. Mobarrez F, Vikerfors A, Gustafsson JT, et al. Microparticles in the blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): phenotypic characterization and clinical associations. Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 25;6:36025. doi: 10.1038/srep36025.