Prognostic Impact of Genetic Variants of MECP2 and TIRAP on Clinical Outcomes of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with and without Nephritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune illness with a growing prevalence in many populations. Few studies have examined genetic predisposition to SLE, so we aimed to examine the clinical impact of the genetic polymorphisms MECP2 rs2734647and TIRAP rs8177374 on the outcomes and therapeutic precision of SLE with and without nephritis. This study included 110 SLE patients—divided into 63 with lupus nephritis (LN), and 47 without nephritis—and 100 controls. Laboratory measurements including CRP, ESR, ACR, CBC, anti-ds-DNA, vitamin A, C3, and C4 were carried out, along with genotyping of MECP2 rs2734647and TIRAP rs8177374 by real-time PCR and sequencing. Treg %, vitamin A, C3, and C4 were lower, whereas Th17 % was higher, in patients vs. controls (p < 0.001). The T allele of MECP2 rs2734647 was higher in LN than in non-nephritis and control subjects. Moreover, the T allele of TIRAP rs8177374 was higher in LN than in non-nephritis and control subjects. The MECP2 and TIRAP genes could play a role in predisposition to SLE, and can also predict disease progress to nephritis, helping to personalize medicine.