Developments in the scientific understanding of lupus

Table 1 Genes proposed to influence SLE risk [1, 2]

Candidate gene	Chromosomal location	Proposed function
PTPN22	1p13	T cell activation
FCGR-2A, FCGR-2B, FCGR-3A, FCGR-3B	1q23-25	Fc receptors; clearance of immune complexes
TNFSF-4	1p36	TNFα expression
STAT-4	2q32	T cell cytokine production and macrophage response to IFN-α
CTLA-4	2q33	T cell activation
PDCD-1	2q37	Lymphocyte differentiation
PXK	3p14	Unknown
HLA-DR2, HLA-DR3	6p11-p21	Antigen presentation
IRF-5	7q32	Expression of IFN-α
BLK-C8orf13	8p23	B cell development and function
MBL-2	10q11	Antigen presentation and immune complex clearance
KIAA1542	11p15	Interferon alpha expression?
ITGAM	16p11	Adherence of neutrophils and monocytes to endothelium

BLK = B lymphocyte tyrosine kinase; CTLA = cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated; FCGR = Fc gamma receptor; HLA = human leukocyte antigen; IFN = interferon; IRF = interferon regulatory factor; ITGAM = integrin alpha(M); MBL = mannose binding lectin; PDCD = programmed cell death; PTPN = protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor; SLE = systemic lupus erythematosus; STAT = signal transducer and activator of transcription; TNF = tumor necrosis factor; TNFSF = tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily.

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