title: A meta-analysis of the association of STAT4 polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: STAT4 has been newly identified as a susceptibility gene for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in recent reports. To more precisely estimate the association between STAT4 polymorphism and SLE risk, a meta-analysis was performed. Studies on the association of STAT4 rs7574865 or rs7601754 with SLE were fully considered and carefully selected using three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science). A total of 17 comparisons from 8 relevant studies involving 7,381 patients and 11,431 controls were included to analyze the association between STAT4 rs7574865 and SLE risk. The pooled OR for the minor T allele of STAT4 rs7574865 was 1.65 (95% CI 1.56-1.75, P < 0.001) in SLE. In a subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the degree of risk of STAT4 rs7574865 with SLE susceptibility was similar in populations of European or Asian origin, although significant differences in the minor T allele frequencies were observed in the two population controls. As for rs7601754, there were five comparisons from four relevant studies involving 2,498 patients and 4,825 controls in this meta-analysis. The pooled OR for the minor C allele of STAT4 rs7601754 was 0.67 (95% CI 0.59-0.75, P < 0.001) in SLE. Conversely, the major T allele of STAT4 rs7601754 might be a risk factor for SLE risk. In conclusion, our results do support STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for SLE in populations of European and Asian origin. Our results also suggest that STAT4 rs7601754 polymorphism might be associated with SLE risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Jin-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Lian-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D050797:STAT4 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D050797:STAT4 Transcription Factor