Response to: 'Correspondence on 'Blood-brain barrier leakage in systemic lupus erythematosus is associated with gray matter loss and cognitive impairment'' by Pamuk and Hasni.

We thank Dr Pamuk et al 1 for their interest in our work,2 and for providing insights regarding mechanisms that may help explain our findings. Their correspondence highlights the importance of further understanding the processes underlying our main finding: extensive blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage affects ~25% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is linked to smaller grey matter volume and cognitive impairment. We agree that the mechanisms resulting in BBB leakage in SLE remain poorly understood, and that …