IFNA1 and systemic lupus erythematosus: The study further showed that miR-146a is a negative regulator of type I interferon (IFN) pathway by targeting interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 5 and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 1, thus the decrease in miR-146a may contribute to the increased type I IFN signaling pathway observed in SLE [50].