AR CAG repeat and autoimmunity in lupus

Clinical and experimental evidence support a role for gonadal steroids in modulating the expression and course of autoimmune diseases such as lupus. It is not known if inherited variation in sensitivity to circulating androgenic hormones could influence the manifestations of such a disease. Olsen and colleagues found that shorter AR CAG repeat lengths in lupus subjects correlated with a higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score, higher ANA levels, expression of a broader array of IgG autoantibodies, more severe clinical manifestations, and more exuberant humoral autoimmunity. These findings suggest a role for genetically determined sensitivity to androgens as a modulator of autoimmune processes.

Read the full article at Olsen et al. (2014) Endocrine Connections 3 99–109; DOI:10.1530/EC-14-0039