IRF5 and systemic lupus erythematosus: In the context of autoimmunity, there is circumstantial evidence to implicate a number of alternatively spliced genes such as the interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) and B-cell scaffold protein with ankyrin repeats 1 (BANK1) in SLE; CD44, TNF-receptor 2 (TNFR2) and IL-6 receptor (IL6R) in rheumatoid arthritis; IL-7 receptor (IL7R) in multiple sclerosis; and C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 3 (CXCR3) in inflammatory bowel disease [14,15,16,17].