Preferential Isoform Usage and Isoform Switching in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients with Distinct Autoantibody Profile

In anti-dsDNA+ systemic lupus erythematosus patients, GRAP2 isoform switching is linked to expansion of a non-coding retained-intron transcript.

• Why it matters: Differential gene expression misses transcript-level complexity, and dysregulated isoform usage may generate non-canonical transcripts with autoantigenic potential in SLE.
• What they did: The study used RNA sequencing to analyze differential isoform usage and major isoform switching across SLE subgroups defined by autoantibody profile (anti-dsDNA+, anti-ENA+, anti-dsDNA+ENA+).
• The result: Subgroup-specific isoform events were enriched in RNA-binding and transcription-related functions, including IGHM switching in anti-ENA+ and TNFAIP2 isoform redistribution in anti-dsDNA+ENA+.

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