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REVIEW article

Front. Genet.
Sec. Applied Genetic Epidemiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1414490
This article is part of the Research Topic A Year in Review: Discussions in Applied Genetic Epidemiology View all articles

Addressing the Research Gap: Access to Care Hinders Genetic Discovery in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Throughout the African Diaspora

Provisionally accepted
Jihwan Hwang Jihwan Hwang 1Ida D. Dey Ida D. Dey 2Olusola Ayanlowo Olusola Ayanlowo 3Cindy H. Flower Cindy H. Flower 4Amanda King Amanda King 5Nicole Johnson Nicole Johnson 6Uyiekpen Ima-Edomwonyi Uyiekpen Ima-Edomwonyi 7Hakeem Olaosebikan Hakeem Olaosebikan 8Titilola Falasinnu Titilola Falasinnu 9Ashira Blazer Ashira Blazer 10*
  • 1 Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York, United States
  • 2 University of Ghana, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
  • 3 College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
  • 4 The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Bridgetown, Barbados
  • 5 University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica
  • 6 Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • 7 Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
  • 8 Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria
  • 9 Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • 10 Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune condition that disproportionately impacts non-White ethnic and racial groups, particularly individuals in the African diaspora who experience heightened incidence, prevalence, and adverse outcomes. Genetic and epigenetic factors play significant roles in SLE risk, however these factors neither explain the whole of SLE risk nor the stark racial disparities we observe. Moreover, our understanding of genetic risk factors within African ancestry populations is limited due to social and environmental influences on research participation, disease presentation, and healthcare access. Globally, the African diaspora faces barriers in accessing essential SLE diagnostic tools, therapeutics, healthcare practitioners, and high-quality clinical and translational research studies. Here, we provide insights into the current state of genetic studies within African ancestry populations and highlight the unique challenges encountered in SLE care and research across countries of varying income levels. We also identify opportunities to address these disparities and promote scientific equity for individuals affected by SLE within the global African diaspora.

    Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, Health Disparities, global health, African Diaspora, Lupus Introduction Ancestry and Race

    Received: 09 Apr 2024; Accepted: 24 Jun 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hwang, Dey, Ayanlowo, Flower, King, Johnson, Ima-Edomwonyi, Olaosebikan, Falasinnu and Blazer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ashira Blazer, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.