STAT4 and autoimmune disease: Genetic polymorphisms within the STAT4 gene have been associated with altered immune responses and increased susceptibility to several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Yi et al., 2013; Dieudé et al., 2009; Liu et al., 2024a; Tolomeo and Cascio, 2024; Xia et al., 2024; Sigurdsson et al., 2008).