A single-nucleotide polymorphism of the STAT4 gene is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in female Chinese population

Rheumatol Int. 2012 May;32(5):1251-5. doi: 10.1007/s00296-010-1767-9. Epub 2011 Jan 22.

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease with complex genetic inheritance. Genetic association of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) with SLE susceptibility has been convincingly established in multiple populations including Asians, whereas studies of genetic relations between STAT4 polymorphisms and subphenotypes of SLE were rarely conducted. In this study, we selected Chinese female population and investigated genetic association between a polymorphism of STAT4 gene (rs7582694) and SLE. Furthermore, genetic association tests based on different subsets classified by 11 clinical manifestations were also performed. A total of 675 SLE female patients and 678 healthy controls were enrolled into this study, and SNP genotyping was performed using Sequenom's MassArray system (Sequenom iPLEX assay). Our study showed strong evidence for genetic predisposition of rs7582694 to SLE (X ( 2 ) = 23.7, OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.58-0.79, P = 1.13 × 10(-6)), while no association was observed between rs7582694 and any clinical presentations. The results of our study demonstrated that STAT4 rs7582694 SNP was significantly associated with SLE, and these results were in accordance with previous studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asian People / genetics*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • China / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / ethnology
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Odds Ratio
  • Phenotype
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • STAT4 Transcription Factor / genetics*
  • Sex Factors
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • STAT4 Transcription Factor
  • STAT4 protein, human