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Objectives This study aimed to investigate a possible trained immunity phenotype in SLE patients by analyzing cytokine production following in vitro stimulation of PBMCs with infectious ligands.Methods The study included adult patients with SLE who met the SLICC 2012 or ACR-EULAR 2019 classification criteria, and age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants provided informed consent, and the study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee. Peripheral blood was collected, and PBMCs were isolated. PBMCs were stimulated in vitro for 24 hours with LPS (10 ng/ml), heat-killed Candida albicans (10^6 CFU/ml), Influenza strains Brisbane and California (40x dilution from stock), RSV-A (40x dilution), or control RPMI medium, to assess monocyte-derived cytokine production (IL-1beta, IL-1Ra, IL-6). Stimulation assays were also performed for 7 days (with control RPMI medium, heat-killed Candida albicans, LPS) to evaluate T-helper cell-derived cytokine production (IL-17, IL-10, IFN-gamma). Supernatants from stimulations were collected, and cytokine levels were measured by specific ELISA kits. The same protocol was applied in a small cohort of patients treated with Anifrolumab and Belimumab before and after 6 months of treatment.Results The study included 116 systemic lupus erythematosus patients (99 females, 16 males) and 65 matched healthy controls. A subgroup of 5 patients treated with Anifrolumab and 5 with Belimumab were evaluated longitudinally, with samples collected before treatment and six months after initiation. We are evaluating differences in in vitro cytokine production between groups. The impact of treatment on stimulated cytokine production in the longitudinal cohort under Anifrolumab and Belimumab therapy will also be explored.Conclusions The data are currently under analysis and final results will be presented at the conference.Funding This work was supported by a Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan grant from the Romanian Ministry of Investments and European Projects (PNRR-III-C9-2023-I8, CF 199/31.07.2023 and PN-III-DCD-RU-TE-2021-3).