AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO025010561
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Absence of association between TRAF6 polymorphisms and systemic lupus erythematosus risk in Han Chinese females from northern China

Wenqi Xu1,2 ,  Shushu Du1,3 ,  Lili Zhao1,4 ,  Xiafei Chen5 ,  Xiaofei Shi2,6* ,  Rongzeng Liu1,2*
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1 Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
2 Luoyang Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingpu Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shanghai, China
4 Department of Medical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
5 Department of Teacher Development, Teacher Development Center, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
6 Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
EJMO, 025010561 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO025010561
Received: 31 December 2025 | Revised: 4 April 2026 | Accepted: 8 May 2026 | Published online: 25 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is a critical adaptor molecule central to immune homeostasis. It has been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Prior research has identified TRAF6 as a genetic factor contributing to susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in various populations.

Objective: The present study aimed to validate whether two previously reported TRAF6 polymorphisms are associated with SLE risk in Han Chinese females from northern China.

Methods: Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TRAF6 gene, namely rs4755453 and rs540386, were genotyped using the sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction method in a sample set consisting of 171 SLE patients and 235 healthy controls. The association between these SNPs and the risk of developing SLE was assessed using χ2 tests. The study also explored the correlations between these genetic variants and various clinical characteristics of SLE.

Results: Genotypic distribution of rs4755453 and rs540386 polymorphisms conformed to the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in both the patient and control groups. No significant associations were observed between SLE susceptibility and either individual TRAF6 SNPs or TRAF6 haplotypes.

Conclusion: The rs4755453 and rs540386 loci of the TRAF6 gene do not confer increased risk for SLE in Han Chinese females from Northern China. The absence of significant associations in this study, in contrast to positive correlations observed in other populations, underscores population-specific genetic heterogeneity in TRAF6-related susceptibility to SLE. To better understand these disparities, extensive validation studies encompassing multiple populations are necessary.

Keywords
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Single-nucleotide polymorphism
TRAF6
Haplotype
Toll-like receptor signaling pathways
Funding
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) through grants numbered 81901663 and 82271851. Additionally, it was supported by the Scientific Research Project of the Health Commission of Qingpu District, Shanghai (QWJ2024-42), Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province (252300420122), and Young Backbone Teachers Training Program of Henan Province under grant number 2023GGJS048.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing
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