Influence of STAT4 Polymorphism in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Objective.To examine the influence ofSTAT4rs7574865 gene polymorphism on patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS).Methods.Two different cohorts were studied: 69 patients with primary SS and 296 controls from Colombia and 108 patients with primary SS and 227 controls from Germany. Samples were genotyped for theSTAT4rs7574865 single-nucleotide polymorphism with a predesigned TaqMan single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay. We carried out a metaanalysis of our results combined with data published to date.Results.Although no significant differences were observed in the allele frequencies ofSTAT4rs7574865 gene polymorphism between patients and controls in Colombians (p = 0.28, OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.82–1.87) and Germans (p = 0.08, OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.96–2.02), the metaanalysis disclosed a significant effect of the T allele on disease (p = 4.7 × 10−6, OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.21–1.62).Conclusion.These data reinforce the influence ofSTAT4gene on primary SS and as a general autoimmune gene.