In an earlier work using gene expression data, 3 main subtypes of SLE were determined as an interferon (IFN) subtype enriched in viral infection and IFN deregulation, a mixed subtype of more severe nature characterized by viral, bacterial and fungal infection-related modules, and a neutrophil-elastase subtype (NE) enriched in bacterial and fungal infection related modules [48]. Here, IFNA1 is linked to fungal infectious disease.