When we compared the ratio of the absolute number of IFN signature probe-sets to that of the total number of significant probe-sets, larger percentages of IFN-related probe-sets were observed in the immunised ND (48.6% in the CD4+ T cells, 35.2% in the CD16− monocytes and 30.5% in the CD16+ monocytes) than in the patients with SLE (20.7%, 23.3% and 23.3%, respectively) (Table 1). Here, IFNA1 is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.