Iranian Journal of Pathology

Interleukin-1β and MicroRNA-146a as Prognostic and Diagnostic Markers of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Complexity

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Saeed Mohammadi 1, 2
Haider Fazel Hassan 3
Mojtaba Zare-Ebrahimabad 4
Fakhri Sadat Seyedhosseini 5
Ahmed Al-Harrasi 2
Yaghoub Yazdani 3, 6

1 Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

2 Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman

3 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

4 Metabolic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

5 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

6 Laboratory Sciences Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.30699/ijp.2025.2049673.3394
Abstract
Background & Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder characterized by dysregulated autoantibody production and diverse clinical manifestations. Despite advances in research, the diagnosis and management of SLE remain challenging. This study evaluated plasma levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in patients with SLE and explored their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
Methods: Blood samples were collected from 100 patients with SLE and 100 healthy controls. Patients with SLE were further classified into newly diagnosed (ND; n=50) and under treatment (UT; n=50) subgroups. Plasma IL-1β levels were quantified using ELISA, and circulating miR-146a expression was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR.
Results: Patients with SLE exhibited significantly higher plasma levels of IL-1β and miR-146a compared with healthy controls. ND patients demonstrated the highest concentrations of both biomarkers. Among patients with SLE, those with lupus nephritis (LN) showed markedly elevated IL-1β levels compared with those without LN. Longitudinal analysis during a 24-week follow-up indicated that higher baseline IL-1β levels were associated with an increased risk of LN development, supporting its potential prognostic relevance.
Conclusion: IL-1β and miR-146a are elevated in patients with SLE, with IL-1β levels correlating with new-onset disease and LN development. These findings suggest that IL-1β and miR-146a may serve as useful biomarkers for diagnosing, monitoring, and predicting disease progression in SLE, although further validation is warranted.

Keywords

systemic lupus erythematosus, microRNA-146a, interleukin-1&beta
, biomarker, diagnostic accuracy, lupus nephritis

Subjects

Copyright © 2026. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The license also allows users to adapt, remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use.

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Iranian Journal of Pathology
Volume 21, Issue 1
Winter 2026
Pages 11-19

  • Receive Date 05 April 2025
  • Revise Date 22 May 2025
  • Accept Date 10 October 2025

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