As multiple mechanisms can lead to dysregulated T cell responses and T cell mediated autoimmunity, emerging evidence has linked autophagy (a conserved bulk‐degradation mechanism) to SLE pathogenesis.[11] Autophagy can regulate IFN production, inflammasome activation and promote MHC presentation to affect diverse aspects of the immune system.[29, 35] These results indicate that augmented effector function and autophagy activity of CD8+CD27+CXCR3− T cells in treatment‐naïve active SLE might exacerbate the disease severity. This evidence concerns the gene HLA-C and systemic lupus erythematosus.