Six Genes Linked to Lupus

Increase the total from three new genes associated with lupus risk, as we talked about here, to six - plus confirmation of a dozen or so with close ties to the autoimmune disease. Four separate reports published in advance online editions of The New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Genetics describe the basketful of genes, which researchers describe as “just the tip of the iceberg.”

Four international scientific teams compared DNA from lupus patients and people without lupus. Those comparison helped pinpoint the six “lupus genes.” That discovery could lead to new and more effective treatments. Researchers also want to focus on DNA from more diverse groups, as these studies focused primarily on patients of European descent. Noted one research, lupus is most severe in people of African, Asian and Hispanic descent.

Read more:

• Gender, Ethnicity and Lupus
• Are You at Risk for Getting Lupus?
• Current Research