Genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjogren's syndrome

Purpose of review To determine the advances made in the genetics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or Sjogren's syndrome as the era of genome-wide association and high-throughput single nucleotide typing begins. Recent findings Several genome-wide association studies have been performed in SLE but there are no such studies published or in progress for Sjogren's syndrome. Genetics and the functional significance of risk alleles in the interferon pathway are being worked out in detail. This is especially true for STAT4 and IRF5. Gene copy number variation, a major source of genetic variability, is important for several genes that impart risk for SLE. An X chromosome copy number dose effect has recently been identified. Genetic evaluation of Sjogren's syndrome is limited to small studies that have concentrated on genes already shown to be risk factors in SLE. Summary Knowledge of the genetics of SLE is advancing rapidly, whereas that of Sjogren's syndrome lags behind considerably.