A comparison of the SLE and healthy control groups showed that monocyte tetherin MFI in SLE patients did not differ significantly from that in healthy controls (SLE:healthy control ratio 1.19; P = 0.293), whereas a significantly higher level of tetherin was seen in all other subsets in SLE patients versus healthy controls (ratios 1.37–1.57; all P < 0.05). This evidence concerns the gene BST2 and systemic lupus erythematosus.