IKZF1 rs4132601 and rs11978267 gene polymorphisms and paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus; relation to lupus nephritis

The demographic factors, the socioeconomic status and the ethnicity of populations are important players that determine the incidence, the prevalence and the spectrum of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) clinical presentations in different populations. Therefore, the purpose of the present research was to investigate the possible association between the Ikaros family zinc finger 1 gene (IKZF1) rs4132601 and rs11978267 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and SLE susceptibility and clinical presentations including lupus nephritis (LN) among Egyptian paediatric patients. After DNA extraction from Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) blood samples for 104 paediatric SLE (pSLE) patients and 286 healthy controls, the investigated SNPs (IKZF1 rs4132601 and rs11978267) were genotyped using TaqMan-Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The G allele, GG and GT genotypes of IKZF1 rs4132601 were associated with pSLE (p_c<.001, OR 2.97, 3.2 and 2.25, respectively). The GG and GA haplotype were more frequent in pSLE patients than other haplotypes (p_c<.001, OR 3.47 and p_c = .004, OR = 2.8, respectively). The studied SNPs have no impact on the distinctive features of pSLE. The rs4132601 TG genotype was significantly associated with proliferative LN (p_c = .03) The IKZF1 rs4132601 can be considered a risk factor for SLE in the cohort of Egyptian children. The TG genotype of the IKZF1 rs4132601 may predispose to proliferative LN.