Value of HLA-DR genotype in systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis: a meta-analysis

Aim Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DRB1 allele polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) susceptibility, but the results of these previous studies have been inconsistent. The purpose of the present study was to systematically summarize and explore whether specific HLA‐DRB1 alleles confer susceptibility or resistance to SLE and lupus nephritis. Methods This review was guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta‐analyses (PRISMA) approach. A comprehensive search was made for articles from PubMed, Medline, Elsevier Science, Springer Link and Cochrane Library database. A total of 25 case–control studies on the relationship between gene polymorphism of HLA‐DRB l and SLE were performed and data were analyzed and processed using Review Manager 5.2 and Stata 11.0. Results At the allelic level, HLA‐DR4, DR11 and DR14 were identified as protective factors for SLE (0.79 [0.69,0.91], P