RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The relationship between rheumatoid factor positive (RF+) and rheumatoid factor negative (RF-) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is controversial. We sought to determine whether the HLA genes conferring susceptibility for erosive RF+RA are also prevalent in patients with erosive RF-RA. METHODS: DNA-based HLA typing for DRB1, DQB1, and DPB1 was performed on 16 consistently RF--patients with erosive RA. RESULTS: Thirteen of 16 (81%) RF-RA patients had the HLA susceptibility genes DRB1 *0401, *0404, or *0101, which are associated with RF+RA, as compared to 46% of normal controls (p = 0.017). By contrast, no associations with HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DPB1 alleles were apparent. CONCLUSION: Specific HLA susceptibility alleles are prevalent in patients with erosive RA, regardless of RF status, suggesting a similar immunogenetic basis for RA in these patients.
Assuntos
Artrite Reumatoide/genética , Artrite Reumatoide/imunologia , Antígenos HLA-D/genética , Fator Reumatoide/sangue , Adulto , Idoso , Alelos , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Antígenos HLA-DP/genética , Cadeias beta de HLA-DP , Antígenos HLA-DQ/genética , Cadeias beta de HLA-DQ , Antígenos HLA-DR/genética , Cadeias HLA-DRB1 , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Classe II/genética , Humanos , Imunogenética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Rheumatoid factor positive (seropositive) juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a relatively uncommon but severe form of JRA which shares clinical features with classical adult onset rheumatoid arthritis. Immunogenetic analysis of these patients supports the concept that this likely represents childhood onset of the same disease process. In this report, we review the clinical features as well as previous HLA studies of this disease. We report complete DNA based HLA typing of a small group of these patients, and discuss mechanistic implications of the results.
