Associated with increasing systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) and clinical deterioration of SLE patients over time was increased IFN-γ associated with significantly decreased MMP12 mRNA levels (two-tailed paired Student’s t-test: p = 6 × 10−3) (GSE11909, n = 114)28 (Fig. 1e, Supplementary Fig. 3). This evidence concerns the gene MMP12 and systemic lupus erythematosus.