The AIRE Ser196Ser synonymous variant is a risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus

•We performed a study involving 379 healthy controls and 460 patients with SLE.•Our data showed that the AIRE Ser196Ser (rs878081C/T) synonymous variant was associated with SLE. Our results suggest that AIRE is a risk factor for SLE.•In addition, we replicated our finding in another group of 179 SLE patients and 97 controls from the same region of Mexico.•This study is the first to document an association between AIRE and SLE susceptibility.