STAT4 Polymorphisms Research Articles

Association of STAT4 Gene Polymorphisms (rs10181656, rs7574865, rs7601754, rs10168266) and Serum STAT4 Levels in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

To investigate the association between STAT4 (rs10181656, rs7574865, rs7601754, and rs10168266) gene polymorphisms and STAT4 serum levels in patients with age-related macular degeneration. The study included 150 individuals with early AMD, 150 individuals with exudative AMD, and 200 healthy subjects. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes using the DNA salting-out method, and the genotyping was performed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. STAT4 serum levels were evaluated using the ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed using "IBM SPSS "Statistics 29.0" software". The study revealed no statistically significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and alleles for the STAT4 polymorphisms (rs10181656, rs7574865, rs7601754, and rs10168266) between patients with AMD and the control group. Similarly, a gender-based analysis did not yield any significant differences in the genotype or allele frequencies. Age group comparisons also showed no statistically significant variations in the presence of these STAT4 polymorphisms between AMD patients and the control group. However, notably, individuals with exudative AMD displayed lower levels of serum STAT4 in comparison to the control group (median (IQR): 0.118 (0.042) vs. 0.262 (0.385), p = 0.005). Investigating STAT4 gene polymorphisms (rs10181656, rs7574865, rs7601754, and rs10168266) did not reveal a significant association with AMD. However, further analysis demonstrated intriguing findings regarding serum STAT4 levels. Exudative AMD patients with at least one G allele of the STAT4 rs10181656 exhibited significantly lower serum STAT4 levels than the control group subjects (p = 0.011). Similarly, those with at least one T allele of STAT4 rs10168266 had lower serum STAT4 levels compared to the control group subjects (p = 0.039). These results suggest a potential link between specific STAT4 genotypes and serum STAT4 levels in exudative AMD patients, shedding light on a novel aspect of the disease.

STAT3 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to breast cancer in the Moroccan population

BackgroundBreast cancer is a complex disease due to its extremely complicated and varied etiology. It is found to be linked to improper transcription factor activation that interferes with normal breast development. Among these factors, signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and cell signaling. Specifically, STAT3, a member of the STAT family, has been found to be constitutively active in various cancer types, including breast cancer. Three STAT3 SNPs (rs744166, rs229152, and rs4796793) were widely investigated in association with cancer diseases in many populations, yet the findings were conflicting. This study seeks to evaluate the association risk of these three SNPs with breast cancer in Moroccan women.Materials and methodsThis case–control study consisted of 200 breast cancer cases and 200 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The extraction was carried out from whole blood by the salting-out method. Genotypes were defined using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) and sequence-specific primer–polymerase chain reaction (SSP–PCR) methods.ResultsIn the over-dominant model (GG–CC vs. GC), the rs4796793*GC genotype was linked to a higher risk of breast cancer among triple-negative cases. Additionally, a significant association has been revealed between HER2 and the mutant genotype of the two polymorphisms rs744166 and rs4796793. Moreover, the STAT3 rs744166*AG genotype was less common in cases with late-stage (grade III) disease.ConclusionThese findings suggest that STAT3 polymorphisms are associated with triple-negative breast cancer and HER2+ type; the top two lethal breast cancer in Moroccans.

Association of IRF5 (rs2004640), STAT4 (rs7574865), and TNFAIP3 (rs6920220, rs2230926) gene polymorphisms with primary Sjögren's syndrome and its complication, MALT-lymphoma

In recent years, more and more data have emerged confirming the contribution of non-HLA genetic markers to the predisposition to thedevelopment of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and its severe complication, MALT-lymphoma. Objective: to study the association of polymorphisms of IRF5 (rs2004640), STAT4 (rs7574865), and TNFAIP3 (rs6920220, rs2230926) genes with predisposition to the development of SS and MALT-lymphoma. Materials and methods. The study included 80 patients with SS and 103 individuals in the control group. Sixteen patients were diagnosed with MALT-lymphoma. Genotyping of polymorphisms of IRF5 (rs2004640), STAT4 (rs7574865), TNFAIP3 (rs6920220, rs2230926) genes was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction using original allele-specific probes labeled with different fluorescent labels. Results and discussion. The distribution of genotypes and alleles of the STAT4 gene differed statistically significantly in the study and control groups of patients (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0001, respectively). The presence of the homozygous TT genotype increased the risk of developing SS more than eightfold compared to TG+GG genotypes (odds ratio, OR=8.2; 95 % confidence interval, CI 2.5–30.0; p=0.0001)]. The polymorphism of the TNFAIP3 rs2230926 gene was also associated with the risk of developing SS: the presence of the TG genotype significantly increased the probability of developing SS compared to the TT genotype (OR 6.4; 95% CI 1.2–44.3; p = 0.01). The development of MALT-lymphoma was associated with the rs6920220 polymorphism of the TNFAIP3 gene. In 10 out of 16 patients with MALT-lymphoma (62.5 %) at least one minor A allele (AA+GA) was detected, while in patients without MALT-lymphoma only in 32.8 % of patients at least one minor A allele was detected (OR=3.4, CI 1.1–10.7; p=0.03). In addition, a correlation was found between the rs7574865 TT genotype of the STAT4 gene and the risk of developing severe leukopenia in SS, which was significantly more frequent in carriers of the TT genotype than in individuals with the GG + GT genotype (OR 4.9; 95 % CI 1.7–14.4; p = 0.004). Polymorphism of the IRF5 gene (rs2004640) was not associated with risk of developing SS or with clinical manifestations of the disease. Conclusion. Polymorphisms rs7574865 of STAT4 gene, rs6920220, rs2230926 of TNFAIP3 gene are associated either with the risk of developing SS or with severe complications of the disease, MALT-lymphoma and leukopenia.

In silico prediction of deleterious non-synonymous SNPs in STAT3.

STAT3, a pleiotropic transcription factor, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, cancer, and many aspects of the immune system, as well as having a link with inflammatory bowel disease. Changes caused by non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) have the potential to damage the protein's structure and function. We identified disease susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in STAT3 and predicted structural changes associated with mutants that disrupt normal protein-protein interactions using different computational algorithms. Several in silico tools, such as SIFT, PolyPhen v2, PROVEAN, PhD-SNP, and SNPs&GO, were used to determine nsSNPs of the STAT3. Further, the potentially deleterious SNPs were evaluated using I-Mutant, ConSurf, and other computational tools like DynaMut for structural prediction. 417 nsSNPs of STAT3 were identified, 6 of which are considered deleterious by in silico SNP prediction algorithms. Amino acid changes in V507F, R335W, E415K, K591M, F561Y, and Q32K were identified as the most deleterious nsSNPs based on the conservation profile, structural conformation, relative solvent accessibility, secondary structure prediction, and protein-protein interaction tools. The in silico prediction analysis could be beneficial as a diagnostic tool for both genetic counseling and mutation confirmation. The 6 deleterious nsSNPs of STAT3 may serve as potential targets for different proteomic studies, large population-based studies, diagnoses, and therapeutic interventions.

Genetic Association Study of Stat4 Polymorphisms and Type 1 Diabetes in Pakistani Children

The present study investigated the relationship of STAT4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7574685, rs10181656, and rs3821236 with T1D susceptibility visiting tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. One hundred and fifty-five T1D patients and one hundred and five healthy individuals were enrolled. An expert endocrinologist collected the clinical data of T1D patients. The genotyping of three potential STAT4 SNPs was performed through Tetra ARMS-PCR assay. The relationship between SNPs and T1D susceptibility under several genetic models, including dominant, recessive, and codominant models, was assessed by regression analysis. All clinical features of T1D demonstrate a significant difference from control groups (P<0.01) except blindness. The characteristic biochemical analysis determined that participants with T1D had significantly higher fasting blood glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels than the control group (P<0.01). Genetic analysis of rs7574685 depicts GT genotype was found to be the risk allele for the development of T1D when compared to the control group. For rs10181656 and rs3821236, the GC genotype and GA genotype were observed to be the risk alleles in the T1D cases as compared to the control group (P=0.04, P<0.01, respectively). Genetic models showed that the STAT4 GG genotype of rs7574685 in the dominant model (OR=1.73, 95% CI=1.05-2.86), GC genotype of rs10181656 in the codominant model (OR=2.079, 95 % CI=1.16-3.71), and AA genotype of rs3821236 showed significant risk association with T1D (OR=3.486, 95% CI=1.72-7.03). It is concluded that the risk of T1D is highly correlated with the STAT4 variants of rs7574685 and rs10181656 among children of the Pakistani population.

STAT3 and STAT6 polymorphisms predict the severity of adverse reactions in Chinese NSCLC patients receiving EGFR-TKIs therapy

A total of 162 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were divided into discovery (N = 68) and validation (N = 94) groups. Nine Janus kinase/Signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway-related single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected to explore the potential associations between genetic polymorphisms and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The TT genotype of STAT6 rs324011 was significantly associated with severe ADRs in the recessive genetic model (TT vs. CC + CT, OR = 13.5, 95% CI = 2.12–86.09, p = 0.006 in the discovery group; OR = 8.41, 95% CI = 1.95–36.19, p = 0.004 in the validation group). The T allele was associated with a higher incidence of severe ADRs than was the C allele of rs324011 (OR = 3.67, 95% CI = 1.46–9.19, p = 0.006 in the discovery group; OR = 3.17, 95% CI = 1.44–6.99, p = 0.004 in the validation group). Patients with the CC genotype in STAT3 rs1053023 (and rs1053005) or the TT genotype of STAT6 rs324011 were likely to experience severe epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) related ADRs.

Gene variations related to the hepatocellular carcinoma: Results from a field synopsis and Bayesian revaluation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered as the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Genetic variations are associated with HCC risk, an issue that has been the subject of several meta-analyses. However, meta-analyses have an important limitation on the likelihood of false positive data. Henceforth, this study aimed to assess the level of noteworthiness in the meta-analyses by means of a Bayesian approach. A systematic search was performed for meta-analyses with associations between gene polymorphisms and HCC. The calculations for the False-Positive Rate Probability (FPRP) and the Bayesian False Discovery Probability (BFDP) were performed to assess the noteworthiness with a statistical power of 1.2 and 1.5 of Odds Ratio at a prior probability of 10−3 and 10−5. The quality of studies was evaluated by the Venice criteria. As additional analyses, the gene-gene and protein–protein networks were designed for these genes and products. As results, we found 33 meta-analytic studies on 45 polymorphisms occurring in 35 genes. A total of 1,280 values for FPRP and BFDP were obtained. Seventy-five for FPRP (5.86%) and 95 for BFDP (14.79%) were noteworthy. In conclusion, the polymorphisms in CCND1, CTLA4, EGF, IL6, IL12A, KIF1B, MDM2, MICA, miR-499, MTHFR, PNPLA3, STAT4, TM6SF2, and XPD genes were considered as noteworthy biomarkers for HCC risk.

Polymorphism in STAT4 Increase the Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

Previous studies have reported that STAT4 rs7574865 conferred the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, a meta-analysis (including 32 comparative studies of 11384 patients and 17609 controls) was conducted to investigate the role of STAT4 polymorphism in SLE in a comprehensive way. We found that the Asian population had the highest prevalence of the T allele than any other study population at 32.2% and that STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism was associated with SLE in the overall population (OR = 1.579, 95%CI = 1.497-1.665, P < 0.001). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, STAT4 rs7574865 T allele was shown to be risk factor in SLE in Asian, European, and American origins. Our results do support STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for SLE in populations of different ethnic and that its prevalence is ethnicity dependent.

Association between STAT4 gene polymorphism and type 2 diabetes risk in Chinese Han population

BackgroundEvidence from genetic epidemiology indicates that type 2 diabetes (T2D) has a strong genetic basis. Activated STAT4 has an inflammatory effect, and STAT4 is an important mediator of inflammation in diabetes. Our study aimed to study the association between STAT4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and T2D susceptibility in Chinese Han population.MethodsWe conducted a 'case–control' study among 500 T2D patients and 501 healthy individuals. 5 candidate STAT4 SNPs were successfully genotyped. The association between SNPs and T2D susceptibility under different genetic models was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. ‘SNP-SNP’ interaction was analyzed and completed by multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR). Finally, we evaluated the differences of clinical characteristics under different genotypes by one-factor analysis of variance.ResultsThe overall results showed that STAT4 rs3821236 was associated with increasing T2D risk under allele (OR 1.23, p = 0.020), homozygous (OR 1.51, p = 0.025), dominant (OR 1.36, p = 0.029), and additive models (OR 1.23, p = 0.020). The results of stratified analysis showed that rs3821236, rs11893432, and rs11889341 were risk factors for T2D among participants ≤ 60 years old. Only rs11893432 was associated with increased T2D risk among female participants. There was also a potential association between rs3821236 and T2D with nephropathy risk. STAT4 rs11893432, rs7574865 and rs897200 were significantly associated with lysophosphatidic acid, cystatin C and thyroxine t4, respectively.ConclusionThe genetic polymorphisms of STAT4 is potentially associated with T2D susceptibility of Chinese population. In particular, rs3821236 is significantly associated with T2D risk both in the overall and several subgroup analyses. Our study may provide new ideas for T2D individualized diagnosis/protection.

Polymorphisms in TNFAIP3, but not in STAT4, BANK1, BLK, and TNFSF4, are associated with susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis

BackgroundTakayasu arteritis (TAK) is considered a rare disease characterized by nonspecific inflammation of the large arteries, especially the aorta and its major branches. Because TAK is an autoimmune disease (AD), it could share susceptibility loci with other pathologies such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), among others. Widely explored polymorphisms in non-HLA genes, including TNFAIP3, STAT4, TNFSF4, BANK1, and BLK have been consistently associated with both SLE and RA, but they have not been evaluated in TAK. ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to investigate whether TNFAIP3, STAT4, BANK1, BLK, and TNFSF4 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to TAK. MethodsThe TNFAIP3 rs2230926T/G and rs5029924C/T, STAT4 rs7574865G/T, BANK1 10516487G/A, BLK rs2736340T/C, rs13277113A/G, and TNFS4 rs2205960G/T polymorphisms were genotyped in 101 cases and 276 controls by using a TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. An association analysis was performed. ResultsThe TNFAIP3 rs2230926T/G and rs5029924C/T polymorphisms were in complete linkage disequilibrium and turned out to be risk factors for TAK (OR = 4.88, p = 0.0001). The STAT4, BANK1, BLK, and TNFSF4 polymorphisms were not associated with the disease. ConclusionsThis is the first study documenting an association of TNFAIP3 rs2230926T/G and rs5029924C/T with TAK. Our results provide new information on the genetic bases of TAK.

STAT3 gain-of-function variants and T cell-mediated inflammation

Abstract STAT3 is a transcription factor that plays a role in the proliferation, survival, and function of many different cell types. In T cells, STAT3 is required for the polarization and function of Th17 cells and can inhibit development of peripheral Tregs. STAT3 polymorphisms have been linked to several common autoimmune disorders where the balance between Th17 and Tregs has been disrupted. Patients with germline gain-of-function variants in STAT3 present with a syndrome of early-onset poly-autoimmunity. We generated two mouse models of STAT3 GOF by CRISPR/Cas9. In these models, mice have a single point mutation, p.G421R or p.T716M, which are two of the exact amino acid substitutions identified in patients. Heterozygous STAT3 GOF mice do not show spontaneous disease or constitutive activation of STAT3 and instead display delayed STAT3 de-phosphorylation following IL-6 stimulation. We hypothesized that STAT3 GOF would enhance Th17 responses and found increased Th17 polarization from naïve STAT3 GOF T cells in vitro. To test whether this increased disease susceptibility in vivo, we treated WT and STAT3 GOF mice with topical imiquimod. Compared to WT, STAT3 GOF mice have more severe disease as demonstrated by ear swelling and epidermal thickness, as well as increased numbers of Th17 cells in peripheral organs at day 7 and in the skin at day 14. No difference was observed in IL-17+ γδ T cell populations in these organs at either time point. STAT3 GOF mice crossed to Rag 1 −/− or IL-22−/− show decreased disease severity, indicating that this response may be mediated by adaptive lymphocytes and IL-22 signaling. These data indicate that STAT3 GOF can exacerbate disease by enhancing Th17 responses that may drive autoimmunity.

Genetic Polymorphisms in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Jaccoud Arthropathy: A Pilot Study.

Jaccoud arthropathy (JA) is a nonerosive and deforming arthropathy experienced frequently by patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although genetic polymorphisms are associated with SLE development, the association between genetic polymorphisms and JA has not been studied to date. The main objective of this study was to evaluate an association between HLA, STAT4, IRF5, and BLK polymorphisms and the presence of JA in Brazilian individuals with SLE. Patients were selected from a cohort of individuals with SLE followed at 2 rheumatology reference centers in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The JA diagnosis was based on clinical and radiological criteria. The participants were genotyped for rs9271100, rs7574865, rs10488631, and rs13277113 polymorphisms in the HLA, STAT4, IRF5, and BLK genes, respectively, using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The presence of JA was correlated with allele frequencies, and clinical and laboratory data. One hundred forty-four individuals with SLE (38 with JA and 106 with SLE without JA) were studied. The mean age of the patients was 45 ± 12 years; the majority were women and had brown skin. Patients with JA had a longer disease duration than patients without JA. Serositis and neuropsychiatric manifestations were more frequent in the JA population. The A allele of rs13277113 in the BLK gene was associated with the presence of JA. The rs13277113 polymorphism in the BLK gene was found to be a possible genetic risk for JA development. However, further studies in larger populations should be performed to confirm this finding.

Association of FCN2 gene rs3124954 and STAT4 gene rs7582694 polymorphisms with juvenile onset systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis in a sample of Egyptian children

BackgroundJuvenile onset SLE (joSLE) is multifactorial autoimmune inflammatory disease with multiple genetic liabilities. Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the major complications of SLE. FCN2 and STAT4 gene polymorphisms are potentially linked to SLE and LN susceptibility. Aim of the workWe aimed to assess the association of FCN2 polymorphism (rs3124954) and STAT4 polymorphism (rs7582694) with risk of developing joSLE and associated LN. MethodologyOur study included 100 SLE patients, 100 LN patients and 100 matched healthy controls. FCN2 polymorphism (rs3124954) and STAT4 polymorphism (rs7582694) were genotyped using real time PCR while STAT4 protein serum levels were measured utilizing ELISA technique. ResultsThe frequency of the major C allele of FCN2 rs3124954 genotype was significantly higher while the minor T allele was significantly decreased in joSLE patients than in control subjects. The patients carrying CC genotype showed 3.7-fold elevated risk for joSLE compared to minor allele T carriers (TT and CT genotypes) under recessive model, while FCN2 rs3124954 genotypes showed no significant association with LN under any genetic model. The frequency of STAT4 rs7582694 C allele was significantly higher in joSLE patients compared to healthy subjects (p = 0.02) and in LN patients compared to joSLE only patients (p = 0.03). In LN, STAT4 rs7582694 C allele was associated with advanced stages of the disease (p = 0.02). ConclusionOur results suggested that FCN2 rs3124954 SNP minor T allele has protective tendency towards joSLE. STAT4 (rs7582694) SNP minor C allele is associated with increased risk of joSLE and its associated LN.

Immune Response-Related Genes - STAT4, IL8RA and CCR7 Polymorphisms in Lung Cancer: A Case-Control Study in China.

PurposeThis study aimed to evaluate the associations between immune response-related genes – STAT4, IL8RA and CCR7 polymorphisms and risk of lung cancer.MethodsSeven polymorphisms of STAT4, IL8RA and CCR7 were genotyped in 350 cases and 350 controls using a MassARRAY platform.ResultsThe STAT4 rs1400656-G and rs7574865-T alleles may decrease the susceptibility to lung cancer (prs1400656= 0.020; prs7574865= 0.014); while IL8RA rs1008562-C and CCR7 rs3136685-T alleles may increase the risk of disease (prs1008562< 0.001; prs3136685= 0.018). The STAT4 rs1400656-GA and rs7574865-GT genotypes were determined as protective genotypes against lung cancer risk (prs1400656= 0.048; prs7574865= 0.042). However, IL8RA rs1008562-CG/GG and CCR7 rs3136685-TT genotypes were significantly associated with an elevated risk of disease (prs1008562< 0.0001; prs3136685= 0.020). Genetic model analysis revealed that STAT4 rs1400656 and rs7574865 were relate to a declining risk of disease under dominant and log-additive models (rs1400656: p dominant = 0.014, p log-additive= 0.016; rs7574865: p dominant = 0.013, p log-additive= 0.013). In contrast, IL8RA rs1008562 exhibited a strong correlation with an elevated risk of lung cancer under all three models (p dominant < 0.0001, p recessive = 0.011, p log-additive< 0.0001). Moreover, CCR7 rs3136685 was correlated with an increased risk of disease under recessive and log-additive models (p recessive = 0.007, p log-additive= 0.019); and CCR7 rs17708087 was also identified as a risk factor in the dominant model (p = 0.038).ConclusionThese results widen the scope of knowledge about the association between STAT4, IL8RA and CCR7 polymorphisms and risk of lung cancer.

The polymorphisms of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway may contribute to cutaneous T-cell lymphomas susceptibility

IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway has been suggested to play a role in CTCL pathogenesis. Polymorphisms in STAT3 signaling pathway-related genes might be a risk factor for CTCL. However, the exact role of inherited gene polymorphisms of IL-6 and STAT3 in the pathogenesis of CTCL is still not fully understood. The aim was to examine whether IL-6 cytokine and polymorphisms of IL-6 and STAT3 gene are associated with CTCL susceptibility, stage of disease and pruritus intensity. We compared the IL-6 serum level and the frequency of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-6 and STAT3 in 106 CTCL and 198 control group using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers method and ELISA. We have found that serum IL-6 level in CTCL patients was significantly higher than in healthy controls (p < 0.05). We also demonstrated that two genotypes, CC of IL-6 and GG of STAT3, were overexpressed in CTCL patients compared to healthy controls, and that they increase the risk of malignancy development (OR = 1.8, p = 0.04 for IL-6 and OR 2.53, p = 0.0064 for STAT3). Moreover, the GG genotype of STAT3 polymorphism seems to be associated with lack of pruritus or mild pruritus in CTCL patients. Our results indicate that IL-6 is involved in pathogenesis of CTCL but not pruritus. Moreover, CC of IL-6 and GG genotype of STAT3 genes might be considered as the risk factor for development of CTCL.

CD209 and Not CD28 or STAT6 Polymorphism Mediates Clinical Malaria and Parasitemia among Children from Nigeria.

Malaria remains a significant disease, causing epic health problems and challenges all over the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. CD209 and CD28 genes act as co-stimulators and regulators of the immune system, while the STAT6 gene has been reported to mediate cytokine-induced responses. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of these genes might lead to differential disease susceptibility among populations at risk for malaria, due to alterations in the immune response. We aim to identify key drivers of the immune response to malaria infection among the three SNPs: CD209 (rs4804803), CD28 (rs35593994) and STAT6 (rs3024974). After approval and informed consent, we genotyped blood samples from a total of 531 children recruited from Nigeria using the Taqman SNP genotyping assay and performed comparative analysis of clinical covariates among malaria-infected children. Our results reveal the CD209 (rs4804803) polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for malaria infection, significantly increasing the risk of disease among children, but not CD28 (rs35593994) or STAT6 (rs3024974) polymorphisms. Specifically, individuals with the homozygous mutant allele (rs4804803G/G) for the CD209 gene have a significantly greater susceptibility to malaria, and presented with higher mean parasitemia. This observation may be due to a defective antigen presentation and priming, leading to an ineffective downstream adaptive immune response needed to combat infection, as well as the resultant higher parasitemia and disease manifestation. We conclude that the CD209 gene is a critical driver of the immune response during malaria infection, and can serve as a predictor of disease susceptibility or a biomarker for disease diagnosis.

Jak Inhibition Prevents Bleomycin-Induced Fibrosis in Mice and Is Effective in Patients with Morphea

Jak Inhibition Prevents Bleomycin-Induced Fibrosis in Mice and Is Effective in Patients with Morphea

Genetic susceptibility to juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the Belarusian population: gene-gene interactions analysis

Background. GWASs revealed a huge amount of candidate genes for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) susceptibility. Individual SNP analysis has restrictions as an effect of each substitution may be too subtle to be detected but their interactions may significantly contribute to disease susceptibility.&#x0D; Materials and methods. 118 patients diagnosed with JIA and 202 controls were included into the study. The study was aimed to estimate interactions between SNPs of the immune and inflammatory responses genes: RUNX3 (rs11249215), RUNX1 (rs9979383), STAT4 (rs7574865), TRAF1/C5 (rs3761847), MIF (rs755622), CTLA4 (rs5742909, rs231775), PTPN2 (rs2542151) and to reveal their effects on the JIA susceptibility. SNPs were genotyped using PCR-RFLP and Real-time PCR. Multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis was performed using MDR 3.0.2 software.&#x0D; Results. RUNX3, STAT4 and PTPN2 polymorphisms were associated with systemic arthritis, RF- polyarthritis and oligoarthritis respectively. Interaction of CTLA4 (rs5742909, rs231775), TRAF1/C5 (rs3761847), RUNX1 (rs9979383), PTPN2 (rs2542151) SNPs is shown to be a risk factor for JIA (p = 0.0099).&#x0D; Conclusion. Some of the SNPs studied are associated with distinct JIA subtypes. MDR analysis identified a statistically significant high-order interaction of five polymorphisms which collectively may contribute to JIA genetic susceptibility in the Belarusian population.

496 STAT3 polymorphisms and IL-6 polymorphism are associated with the risk of basal cell carcinoma in patients from northern Poland

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) environment consists of stromal and inflammatory cells which produce variety of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that may affect the tumor behavior. One of the cytokines suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of BCC is IL-6 - the upstream element of IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway. In the present study rs1800795 (-174 G/C) IL-6 gene polymorphism and STAT3 rs2293152 (intron 11, C/G) and rs4796793 (–1697, C/G) polymorphisms were assessed in relation to the BCC risk and clinical course. Additionally, IL-6 serum level was assessed in relation to IL-6 genotype and clinical variables. The study included 254 unrelated BCC patients (mean age 70.39±11.43) and 198 healthy, unrelated age- and sex-matched volunteers. We have found that the presence of C allele in rs1800795 IL-6 gene polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR: 1.86; 95% CI=1.22-2.84; p=0.004). The presence of CC genotype in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR=3.94; 95% CI: 1.59-9.77; p=0.003). In contrast, the presence of GC genotype in overdominant model was associated with decreased risk of BCC (aOR=0.24; 95% CI:0.12-0.49; p<0.0001). The presence of C allele in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR: 1.31; 95% CI:1.01-1.69; p=0.04). The presence of GG genotype in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR=3.66; 95% CI:1.33-10.10; p=0.012). The presence of G allele in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.01-2.49; p=0.04). IL-6 serum level positively correlated with the tumor size.

STAT3 polymorphisms and IL-6 polymorphism are associated with the risk of basal cell carcinoma in patients from northern Poland

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) environment consists of stromal and inflammatory cells which produce variety of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors that may affect tumor behavior. One of the cytokines suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of BCC is IL-6, which is the upstream element of IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway. The correlation between polymorphisms of the genes related to this pathway and cancer risk/prognosis have been previously investigated in several neoplasia, but available data concerning BCC are scarce. In the present study, rs1800795 (-174 G/C) IL-6 gene polymorphism and two polymorphisms in the STAT3 gene, namely rs2293152 (intron 11, C/G) and rs4796793 (-1697, C/G) were assessed in relation to the BCC risk and clinical course. Additionally, IL-6 serum level was assessed in relation to IL-6 genotype and clinical variables. The study included 254 unrelated patients with BCC and of mean age 70.39 ± 11.43 (69.83 ± 12.32 women, 71.03 ± 10.31 men) and 198 healthy, unrelated age- and sex-matched volunteers. IL-6 and STAT3 polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (SSP-PCR). Serum concentration of IL-6 was measured using the ELISA test. We have found that the presence of C allele in rs1800795 IL-6 gene polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.22–2.84; p = 0.004). The presence of CC genotype in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR 3.94; 95% CI 1.59–9.77; p = 0.003). In contrast, the presence of GC genotype in overdominant model was associated with decreased risk of BCC (aOR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.12–0.49; p < 0.0001). The presence of C allele in STAT3 rs2293152 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.31; 95% CI 1.01–1.69; p = 0.04). The presence of GG genotype in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased BCC risk in recessive model analysis (aOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.33–10.10; p = 0.012). The presence of G allele in STAT3 rs4796793 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of BCC (aOR 1.59; 95% CI 1.01–2.49; p = 0.04). IL-6 serum level positively correlated with the tumor size.