Monitoring of urinary messenger RNA levels for the prediction of flare in systemic lupus erythematosus

► Urinary mRNA level of MCP-1, IL-17, GATA-3 and FOXP3 levels changes before lupus disease flare. ► The changes in urinary IL-17 and GATA-3 level correlate with the SLEDAI score in the subsequent flare. ► Monitoring of mRNA levels in urinary sediment may provide an early clue for detecting lupus flare.