Genetic ancestry, serum interferon-α activity, and autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Ko, Kichul; Franek, Beverly S; Marion, Miranda; Kaufman, Kenneth M; Langefeld, Carl D; Harley, John B; Niewold, Timothy B · J Rheumatol · 2012

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Abstract

To investigate and refine the relationships among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related autoantibodies, interferon-α (IFN-α), and various ancestral backgrounds. We investigated quantitatively defined genetic ancestry through principal component analysis in place of self-reported ancestry. African ancestry was found to be associated with presence of anti-RNP antibody (p = 0.0026), and anti-RNP was correlated with high levels of IFN-α (p = 2.8 × 10(-5)). Our data support a model in which African ancestry increases the likelihood of SLE-associated autoantibody formation, which subsequently results in higher levels of serum IFN-α.

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