Association Between Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 4 rs7574865 Polymorphism and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the rs7574865 polymorphism of signal transducers and transcription 4 activators (STAT4) in multiple ethnic populations is associated with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. A meta-analysis on the STAT4 T allele rs7574865 polymorphism was performed in all subjects of study as well as in each ethnic population. Results. It included twenty-four manuscripts with 36 comparative studies of 22,898 SLE patients and 24,838 controls. The mean frequency of the STAT4 rs7574865 T allele was 28.5%, ranging from 14.3% to 35.7%, among the controls. T allele rates were 14.3%, 22.8%, 31.9%, 32.4%, and 35.7%, respectively in African American, European, Arab, Asian, and Latin American populations. Meta-analysis revealed a substantial correlation in all subjects between STAT4 rs7574865 and SLE (odds ratio=1.549, 95% confidence interval=1.459∼1.644, p＜0.001). Analysis after stratification of race showed a strong association between the STAT4 rs7574865 T allele and SLE in Europeans, Asians, Latin Americans, African Americans, and Arabs. Conclusion. This meta-analysis demonstrated that the STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism in different ethnic groups was correlated with SLE susceptibility, and that its prevalence depended on ethnicity. (J Rheum Dis 2020;27:277-284)