Is FCRL3 a new general autoimmunity gene?

Autoimmunity is a multistep pathogenic process, which arises in genetically predisposing individuals as a result of the harmful influence of environmental factors causing the breakdown of immune tolerance and induction of self-reactive immune response. Recent findings resolved common pathogenic mechanisms shared between different autoimmune diseases and suggested for the existence of genetic loci that could be involved in general autoimmunity and hence contribute to susceptibility of several autoimmune diseases. To date, several loci responsible for general autoimmunity have been identified. The Fc receptor-like 3 (FCRL3) gene is one of those loci for which a significant association with a number of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), autoimmune thyroid disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been recently shown in Japanese. However, studies in Caucasians failed to confirm a strong association of this gene with RA and SLE and therefore made questionable the putative role of FCRL3 in general autoimmunity. In this review, we discuss whether the FCRL3 gene is a newly discovered gene contributing to shared susceptibility between autoimmune diseases.