Researchers believe lupus is caused by genetic variants that interact with one another and the environment. An international consortium of clinical scientists and genomics experts have unveiled new genetic risk factors for lupus. According to Nature Genetics, published online January 20th, researchers studied the DNA of 720 women of European descent with lupus and 2,337 women without lupus. The entire genome was scanned for more than 317,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (called SNPs). The SNPs are single units of DNA on chromosomes that vary from person to person. The goal of the research was to find SNPs related to lupus -- and 3 new genes were identified (ITGAM, KIAA1542, and PXK).
Identifying the genes that contribute to the risk and cause of lupus disease will hopefully help researchers move towards earlier diagnosis of lupus and ultimately better options for lupus treatment.
A New England Journal of Medicine editiorial about the new findings emphasizes the importance of the work but also points out that the study didn't take into account the populations with the highest rate of incidence (morbidity) and death rate (mortality) from lupus. The disease is most severe in people of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent and the genes should be confirmed in those groups too.
Related Resources:
- Lupus Screening Quiz
- Fast Facts About Lupus
- Test Your Knowledge: Lupus
- Lupus Disease Poses Many Challenges
- 10 Things You Should Know About Lupus
Photo by Andrey Volodin (iStockphoto)
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