Study Alert: Connects Genes to the Development of Lupus

In the United States, approximately 1.5 million people have been diagnosed with lupus. People of African, Asian, and Native American descent are more likely to develop lupus than are Caucasians. Although it can occur in both men and women, 90% of people diagnosed with the disease are women. In some cases, it took years before a diagnosis was provided. One of the main reasons why it is so difficult to diagnose is because it shares resemblances with other autoimmune diseases.

Women are 9 times more likely to develop lupus compared to men. One of the explanations is that women generate and use more estrogen while men rely on androgen. While it is quite common among women in their 20s, it has been said that 20 percent of SLE cases occurred among those over 50 years old.

In a study conducted with the help of 720 women with lupus and 2,337 women without the disease, the entire genome was scanned by the researchers with the goal of identifying SNPs that are linked to lupus. The results were then confirmed in another set of 1,825 women who didn't have lupus and 1,846 women who have it. The researchers found an association between the genes PXK, KIAA1542, and ITGAM.

The ITGAM gene plays an important role in cleaning up pathogens while KIAA1542 is the one that translates the DNA code to proteins. PXK, on the other hand, is the one responsible for encoding a molecule that transmits signals and controls the complex processes in cells.