Research Highlights

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  • Genetics

Published online: 28 October 2009 | doi:10.1038/nchina.2009.210

Dermatology: Newly discovered lupus loci

Felix Cheung

Introduction

© (2009) istockphoto.com/Andrea K. Gingerich

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that affects predominantly young, premenopausal women, particularly those with a Chinese ethnic background. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in European populations have identified more than 20 susceptibility loci linked to SLE. Now, Xuejun Zhang, Jianjun Liu and Sen Yang at Anhui Medical University in Hefei and co-workers¹ have found nine more susceptibility loci after performing a GWAS in the Chinese Han population.

The researchers analysed 4,199 SLE patients and 8,255 healthy individuals using the latest mass-sequencing technology. They identified 16 susceptibility loci related to SLE: seven (BLK, IRF5, STAT4, TNFAIP3, TNFSF4, 6q21 and 22q11.21) found previously in European populations, and nine new loci (ETS1, IKZF1, RASGRP3, SLC15A4, TNIP1, 7q11.23, 10q11.22, 11q23.3 and 16p11.2).

The findings highlight the genetic heterogeneity of SLE between Chinese Han and European populations. The study will advance our understanding of the genetic basis of SLE and highlights the value of performing GWASs in diverse ethnic groups.

The authors of this work are from:
Institute of Dermatology and Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Key Laboratory of Dermatology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Dermatology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Rheumatology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Peking University, Shenzhen, China; Chinese National Human Genome Center, Shanghai, China; Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Dermatology, Epigenetic Research Center, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Rheumatology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Rheumatology, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Dermatology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China; Department of Dermatology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Rheumatology, Shenzhen Fourth People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China; Department of Dermatology, China–Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China; Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China; Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Reference

1. Han, J. W. et al. Genome-wide association study in a Chinese Han population identifies nine new susceptibility loci for systemic lupus erythematosus. Nature Genet. doi:10.1038/ng.472 (2009). | Article | OpenURL