IKZF1 and systemic lupus erythematosus: Conclusively, six SLE associated genes found to be regulated by cis-rSNPs were IKZF1, NCF2, IL12A and TNIP1 in B cells and ANK3, and PHRF1 in T cells (48). The combination of machine learning and allele-specific transcriptome analysis represents a valuable tool for validation of target genes associated with disease risk and offers a functional follow-up strategy to test these molecular targets under clinical settings.