title: Partial C4A deficiency is associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus in black Americans.
abstract: In a study of 59 black American patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we found that partial C4A deficiency occurred twice as frequently as in 59 control subjects (32.3% versus 15.3%; P = 0.02). Complete C4A deficiency, however, occurred in only 1 patient and in no controls. Partial C4A deficiency is a risk factor for SLE in black, as well as in white, SLE populations studied to date. In contrast with white patients, complete C4A deficiency occurs relatively infrequently in black patients with SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Armatis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000172:deficiency*; D015934:Complement C4a; D015935:Complement C4b; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D003181:Complement C4; D015934:Complement C4a; D015935:Complement C4b