• Several cell populations expanded in the early stages of SLE with ↑ of Ki67.• Antibody secreting plasmablasts, Th cells, Tfh, Tph could be biomarkers for early SLE• CXCL13 were positively corelated with several of the expanded cell populations in early SLE. Here, CXCL13 is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.