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• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
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In Lupus, genetic factors predispose the immune system to become more easily stimulated by external factors.

deCODEme analyzes your DNA and identifies 13 genetic variants associated with increased risk of developing Lupus.

Lupus is a complex disease that is probably the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors

The cause of Lupus is unknown

Lupus is a complex disease and its precise underlying causes remain unclear. What is known is that Lupus is an autoimmune disease and probably the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Scientists believe that in Lupus, genetic factors predispose the immune system to become more easily stimulated by external factors like viruses, ultraviolet sunlight and drugs, or internal factors such as hormones.

Currently, established risk factors for developing Lupus are:

• Gender, more than 90 percent of people with Lupus are women.
• Age, in most Lupus patients, symptoms typically develop when they are in their 20s or 30s. In women, symptoms and diagnosis of Lupus occur most often in their childbearing years, between the ages of 15 and 44.
• Ethnicity, in the United States, Lupus is more common in African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders – than in people of European descent. It also appears that Lupus develops at an earlier age and is more severe among members of these ethnic groups.
• Family history, relatives of people with Lupus have an increased chance of developing Lupus.
• Environmental risk factors, associated with Lupus are:
  • Sun exposure, has been shown to increase a person’s risk of developing Lupus, and Lupus risk is higher in people who have sun-sensitive skin. People diagnosed with Lupus are advised to avoid too much sun, as even slight redness or sun-damage to skin cells may stimulate a Lupus autoimmune response and worsen symptoms.
  • Infections, may trigger the development of Lupus. Recent research has confirmed that one virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which causes mononucleosis, is a cause of Lupus in genetically susceptible people (for a review, see here).
  • Smoking. The evidence that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for Lupus is controversial. Some studies have found that smoking increases risk of Lupus, but the combined evidence to date suggests that past smoking is not a risk factor while current smoking does increase risk for Lupus.
  • Hormonal Factors. As the majority of Lupus is diagnosed in women of child-bearing age, the female hormone estrogen is a suspected risk factor for Lupus. Some studies show that women who have taken oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy have an increased risk of developing Lupus. However, there have been conflicting reports as to whether use of estrogen-containing birth control pills or post-menopausal hormone replacement increases the risk for Lupus.

For more information about environmental risk factors for Lupus, see here and here.

Genetic risk factors play a significant role in the development of Lupus

Studies of identical (monozygotic) twins have revealed that when one twin has Lupus, the other twin has a significantly increased risk (24%) chance of also developing Lupus. This and other research suggests that genetics play an important role, but it also shows that genes alone do not determine who gets Lupus.

Research has shown that a number of different genes may be involved in determining a person’s risk of developing Lupus. Progress has also been made in determining the impact of genetic factors on which tissues and organs are affected by the disease and the severity of disease. Researchers have in recent years begun to make advances in identifying some of these genes, which could eventually improve the treatment of Lupus and perhaps even help prevent the onset of the disease.

deCODEme calculates your genetic risk of developing Lupus

The deCODEme Complete Scan identifies 13 genetic variants associated with increased risk of developing Lupus and uses them to provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, the most common form of Lupus.

At present, the scientific information needed to interpret the genetic risk for individuals of other ethnicities is not available. This information will be added as soon as it becomes available and we are assured of its quality.

This content was last reviewed on February 23, 2011.

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