Objectives. The variant rs3828903 withinMICB, a nonclassicalMHCclass I chain-related gene, was detected to contribute to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Caucasian population. This study aimed to investigate the association in a northern Han Chinese population.Methods. We recruited 1077 SLE patients and 793 controls for analysis. rs3828903 was genotyped by TaqMan allele discrimination assay. Using the public databases, its functional annotations and gene differential expression analysis ofMICBwere evaluated.Results. Significant association between the allele G of rs3828903 and risk susceptibility to SLE was observed after adjusting for sex and age (P=1.87×10-2).In silicoanalyses predicted a higher affinity to transcription factors for allele G (risk) andcis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) effects of rs3828903 in multiple tissues (Pranging from2.79×10-6to6.27×10-38). Furthermore, higher mRNA expressions ofMICBwere observed in B cells, monocytes, and renal biopsies from SLE patients compared to controls.Conclusion. An association between rs3828903 and susceptibility to SLE has been detected in a Chinese population. This together with the functional annotations of rs3828903 convertsMICBinto a main candidate in the pathogenesis of SLE.
