STAT4 and systemic lupus erythematosus: In fact, during the last decade, an increasing amount of evidence supports the notion that variants in the STAT4 gene are associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), type I diabetes, Sjögren syndrome, and systemic scleroderma (SSc) [2, 3].