Genetic ancestry, serum interferon-α activity, and autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate and refine the relationships among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related autoantibodies, interferon-α (IFN-α), and various ancestral backgrounds. METHODS: We investigated quantitatively defined genetic ancestry through principal component analysis in place of self-reported ancestry. RESULTS: 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)). CONCLUSION: 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.
