STAT1 and systemic lupus erythematosus: Complement pathway associations are also possibly confounded by the HLA SLE association, since early complement component genes are located in the HLA class III locus on chromosome 6.36 The JAK-STAT pathway was associated with SLE, it is the main route to initiate gene expression and protein synthesis for over 50 cytokines, many of which are involved in the SLE disease process.37 38 Variants of a number of genes in the JAK-STAT pathway have been associated with an increased risk for SLE, for instance STAT4-STAT1 and TYK2. 3 4