Lupus, psoriasis gene clues
UK researchers have identified genetic triggers responsible for two disorders in which the body’s immune system attacks the body, rather than protecting it from invaders. A University of Nottingham group has discovered that extra copies of a gene involved in skin inflammation can cause psoriasis, while a team based at Imperial College, London has found a genetic change linked to a higher risk of lupus.
Psoriasis causes red scaly patches to develop on the skin, accompanied by joint swelling in 15 per cent of cases. The Nottingham team, led by John Armour, focussed on a gene called beta-defensin, which can trigger inflammation in response to infections. They found that people who have extra copies of this gene are more prone to developing the disease, at least in the groups of Dutch and German patients studied.
Meanwhile, an Imperial College team has shed light on the genetic basis of lupus, a disease in which the body is attacked by its own immune system, causing swelling and pain in the skin, joints and internal organs. Tim Vyse and colleagues found that genetic variations near a key immune system gene called TNFSF4 are more common in people affected by the condition.
Both studies were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Sources:
Psoriasis, lupus linked to genes: study
Psoriasis is associated with increased -defensin genomic copy number