To explore the relationship between differential long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expressions, the number of CD8⁺ T cells, and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

From July to December 2020, 9 hospitalized SLE patients at the Rheumatology and Immunology Department of Shanxi Medical University′s Second Hospital were chosen, and 9 healthy patients from the hospital′s physical examination center were chosen as the healthy control group at the same time. To identify differentially expressed lncRNA, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected and their lncRNA expression patterns were evaluated using whole transcriptome sequencing. CD8⁺ T cell count in the two groups was compared, and the relationships between differentially expressed lncRNA and CD8⁺ T cell count and clinical characteristics in SLE patients were investigated.

SLE patients had 240 differently expressed lncRNAs when compared to healthy control group, including 134 highly expressed lncRNAs and 106 weakly expressed lncRNAs. The expression of AL450352.1(r=0.755, P=0.030) and LINC00944(r=0.824, P=0.012) were positively correlated with the number of CD8⁺ T cells, and the expression of PSORS1C3 (r=-0.784, P=0.021), TDRG1(r=-0.808, P=0.015), MIR3150BHG (r=-0.707, P=0.049), AC000403.1(r=-0.726, P=0.040), AL034550.2(r=-0.762, P=0.028), AC099524.1(r=-0.714, P=0.047), HOMER3-AS1 (r=-0.760, P=0.029) were negatively correlated with the number of CD8⁺ T cells.HOMER3-AS1, which was negatively correlated with peripheral blood CD8⁺ T cells, was positively correlated with 24-hour proteinuria in patients with SLE(r=0.774, P=0.024).

The expression profile of lncRNAs changes in SLE patients, and certain differentially expressed lncRNAs are connected with the number of CD8⁺ T cells in SLE patients, which may further impair SLE patients′ kidney function by influencing the number of CD8⁺ T cells.