This web page was produced as an assignment for Gen677 at UW-Madison Spring 2012.
Popular press review of: “Association of ITGAM polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis”
The cause of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is not fully understood even though it is one of the more common autoimmune diseases. As a result, researchers are continuously searching for the cause(s) of this disease in hopes of developing medical treatments. Recent research shows that there are different forms of various genes associated with SLE, but results have been historically inconclusive. One gene in particular, ITGAM, has shown a connection to SLE but the strength of the connection is unknown. In “Association of ITGAM polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis”, Dr. Fan and colleagues at the Anhui Medical University, the Anhui Provincial Hospital, and the Jiangxi University of TCM Science and Technology College investigated the evidence demonstrating the link between SLE and some forms of ITGAM. During their analysis, they compared the results from five recently published studies reporting on ITGAM’s association with SLE. These studies together analyzed a diverse population including patients from Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America.
Dr. Fan and colleagues reported that the results from the five recently published studies collectively showed an association between ITGAM and SLE. They concluded that multiple forms of the gene are significantly associated with SLE, and, interestingly, they found that this is true across many ethnic groups. However, they did not find that certain forms of ITGAM are a direct cause of SLE. The results only indicated that an individual's risk for having SLE increases when he or she carries certain forms of the ITGAM gene.
To read the full article, download the file below:
Fan et al. (2011). Association of ITGAM polymorphism with systemic lupus erythematosus: a meta-analysis. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 25, 271–275.