Genetic polymorphisms in TNFSF13 and FDX1 are associated with IgA nephropathy in the Han Chinese population

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide, and its pathogenesis is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. In this study, we evaluated 23 tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) in 21 IgAN-associated genes, in 200 subjects with IgAN and 310 healthy gender- and age-matched unrelated control subjects with no history of renal disease or hypertension. Using the co-dominant model, we found that two genotypes of rs3803800 in TNFSF13 were associated with an increased risk of IgAN: “GA” (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.71–1.51, p = 0.018) and “AA” (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.29–4.65, p = 0.018). The “AA” genotype was also associated with an increased risk of IgAN in the recessive model (OR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.30–4.46, p = 0.018), as was the genotype “AA” rs10488764 in FDX1 (OR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.01–3.53, p = 0.048). Interestingly, we found that the allele “A” of rs3803800 in TNFSF13 is associated with a decreased risk of IgAN in females (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20–0.95, p = 0.009), but with an increased risk in males (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 0.86–3.66, p = 0.009). Our findings, combined with previously reported results, suggest that TNFSF13 and FDX1 have potential roles in IgAN in the Han Chinese population. This information may be useful in the development of early prognostics for IgAN.