Background Accumulating evidence suggests that differentially expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in immune cells of SLE patients. Hsa_circ_0000479 has been studied in the field of cancer and infection, whereas a few researches in autoimmune disease. The aim of this study was to discuss the roles and clinical value of hsa_circ_0000479 in SLE.

Methods Reverse-transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to detect the expressions level of hsa_circ_0000479 in PBMCs (HC: n = 8; SLE: n = 8) and in neutrophils (HC: n = 45; SLE: n = 80). The relationships between hsa_circ_0000479 levels in neutrophils and the clinical features and laboratory parameters in SLE were analyzed.

Results The expressions level of hsa_circ_0000479 in SLE patients were higher than that in healthy controls. Even the expressions of hsa_circ_0000479 of neutrophils were significant obvious than that of PBMCs of patients with SLE. Moreover, the expressions level of hsa_circ_0000479 on neutrophils in SLE patients were negatively related to absolute neutrophils count (r = -0.323, P = 0.004) and complement 3 (C3) (r = -0.346, P = 0.002), whereas positively correlated with anti-dsDNA (r = 0.394, P = 0.001) and anti-nucleosome antibodies (r = 0.384, P = 0.001). Additionally, the increased level of hsa_circ_0000479 was associated with several clinical manifestations, including mucocutaneous vasculitis involvement, anemia, arthritis, lupus nephritis, neuropsychiatric involvement, and pulmonary involvement of SLE.

Conclusions Hsa_circ_0000479 in neutrophils probable was one of factors which involved in the pathogenesis and had potential clinical value in SLE.