Furthermore, the SDI and the clinical signs of SLE patients, including cutaneous manifestations, fever, oral ulcer, arthritis, neuropsychiatric lupus (NPLE), alopecia, effusion, proteinuria, leucopenia, hematuresis, pyuria, thrombocytopenia, erythrocytopenia and anemia, were analyzed and correlated with increased TIM-3+PD-1+NK cells. This evidence concerns the gene PDCD1 and arthritic joint disease.