IFNA1 and systemic lupus erythematosus: Although the serum levels of IFN-α between LN patients and SLE patients without LN were not different, both groups had higher serum levels of IFN-α than healthy controls (LN patients vs healthy controls, 92.45 ± 30.35 vs 5.05 ± 3.77 pg/ml, p = 0.005; SLE patients without LN vs healthy controls, 53.82 ± 18.5 vs 5.05 ± 3.77 pg/ml, p = 0.006) (Fig. 5a).