IFI44 and systemic lupus erythematosus: qPCR data indicate that deletion clones were more sensitive to interferon-α stimulation than WT clones, as reflected by increased expression of interferon signaling responsive genes IFIT1, IFIT3, OAS1, and IFI44 (Fig. 6a–d), suggesting that the SLE risk mediated by the rs2431697-containing region may well act through miR-146a-target gene regulation within the type I interferon pathway.