In agreement, the addition of anti-IFN-α-antibodies to PBMC of SLE patients (in the absence of hCDR1) down regulated IL-1β and up regulated TGFβ and FoxP3 gene expression, similarly to the immunomodulation of these genes by hCDR1 (Mozes et al., unpublished results) further supporting the role of IFN-α. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is systemic lupus erythematosus.