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. 2025 Sep 1;45(9):211. doi: 10.1007/s00296-025-05953-w

Table 3.

ncRNA and proteins in small extracellular vesicles of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

A/A Study Disease Sample No. of patients No. of comparators sEV’s size (nm) ncRNA Major findings
1 Peng et al. [27] SLE Plasma 20 20 100 LINC00667 DANCR

Upregulated in the patients

Positively correlated with disease activity

2 Ji et al. [26] SLE Plasma 43 19 107

miR-151a-3p

miR-1180-3p

miR-1246

miR-122-5p

miR-151a-3p was lower in SLE patients, while miR-1180-3p, miR-1246, miR-122-5p were higher

miR-122-5p was correlated with SLEDAI activity, positively correlated with dsDNA level, while negatively correlated with C3 and C4 level

3 Yang et al. [34] SLE Serum 253 80 NA

tRF-iMet-CAT-1

tRF-Ala-AGC-2-M4 tRF-Tyr-GTA-1-M2

tRF-Thr-TGT-4-M3

tRFTyr-GTA-1-M2

tRF-iMet-CAT-1, tRF-Ala-AGC-2-M4 and tRF-Tyr-GTA-1-M2 showed high expression in SLE group without LN than in HC

tRF-Thr-TGT-4-M3 and tRFTyr-GTA-1-M2 were higher expressed in LN group than in SLE without LN

4 Somparn et al. [28]

SLE

(Juvenile Proliferative LN)

Plasma 12 NA 100–150 miR-146a Upregulated following 12 months of treatment and inversely correlated with lupus disease severity, anti-double-stranded DNA antibody concentration and proteinuria (urine protein–creatinine ratio)
5 Chen et al. [36] SLE Serum

116

SLE-LN

116

SLE

127 hsa-miR-4796-5p hsa-miR-7974 Upregulated in LN patients compared to SLE patients
6 Flores-Chova et al. [53] SLE Plasma 96 25 NA

miR-101-3p

miR-16-5p LINC01986 AC087257 AC022596.1 LINC01015

Upregulated in LN patients
7 Chen et al. [35] SLE Urine 173 24 129 tRF3-Ile-AAT-1 tiRNA5-Lys-CTT-1 Increased in the urine of patients with LN compared to SLE patients without LN and HC
8 Song et al. [54] SLE Plasma 10 20 30–200

Various miRNAs

and proteins

407 upregulated and 596 downregulated miRNAs

84 upregulated (CRP, LGALS3BP, IGHG1, C1QB, C4BPA, etc.) and 13 downregulated (IGHV3OR15-7, HPR and HYDIN) proteins

9 Tan et al. [33] SLE Serum 42 21 30–110

miR-451a

miR-16

miR-451a

miR-451a and miR-16 were downregulated

miR-451a expression correlated with disease activity and renal damage

10 Li et al. [29] SLE Serum 38 18 NA

miR-21

miR-155

miR-146a

miR-155

miR-21 and miR-155 were elevated

miR-146a levels were decreased

Higher levels of miR-21 and miR-155 in LN patients compared to non-LN SL? patients

11 Peres Hernandez et al. [32] SLE Urine 41 20 70–170 miR-146a

Increased sEV miR-146a levels compared to urine microvesicles in SLE patients, especially in patients with LN

Association with disease activity

12 Garcia-vives et al. 2020 [37] SLE Urine 22 LN Responders

21 LN

non-responders

93.4

±

36.6

miR-31

miR-107

miR-135b-5p

MiR-135b

Responders expressed increased levels of sEV miR-31, miR-107, and miR-135b-5p in urine and renal tissue compared to non-responders

miR-135b exhibited the best predictive value to discriminate responders

13 Dong et al. 2019 [30] SLE Serum 10 10 100 miR-146a Downregulated in SLE patients
14 Sole et al. [38] SLE Urine 45 20

85.5

±

33.4

miR-21

miR-150

miR-29c

Detected early renal fibrosis and predict disease progression in LN patients
15 Tangtanatakul et al. [48] SLE Urine

13

SLE-LN

18

SLE

inactive-LN

40–200

Let-7a

miR-21

Downregulated in active LN patients
16 Peres Hernandez et al. [31] SLE Urine 38 12 21–140

miR-146a

miR-335

miR-302d

miR-200c

Increased levels in active LN patients.

sEVmiR-146a indicates the presence of active LN

miR-302d elevated in inactive LN

17 Sole et al. [55] SLE Urine 32 35 65.35 ± 34.7 miR-29c Correlated with the degree of renal chronicity but not with the creatinine levels

SLE, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; sEV, small extracellular vesicles; LN, Lupus Nephritis; HC, healthy controls; SLEDI, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index; dsDNA, double stranded; NA, not available