Association between radiographic severity of rheumatoid arthritis and shared epitope alleles: differing mechanisms of susceptibility and protection. Issue 7 (27th September 2007)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mewar, D; Marinou, I; Coote, A L; Moore, D J; Akil, M; Smillie, D; Dickson, M C; Binks, M H; Montgomery, D S; Wilson, A G
• Is Part Of: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. Volume 67:Issue 7(2008)
• Page Start: 980
• Page End: 983
• Publication Date: 2007-09-27
• Subjects: Rheumatism -- Periodicals; 616.723005
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.2007.075382
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-4967

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To investigate the association of a recently described classification of Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 shared epitope alleles with rheumatoid factors (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) production and radiological severity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Patients with RA (n = 962) were studied. Genotyping of DRB1 alleles and assays for RF and anti-CCP were performed. Radiological severity was measured using the modified Larsen score. Results: In accordance with previous reports, we found carriage of S2 alleles (K-R-A-A at positions 71–74) to be associated with more severe disease with a gene–dose effect (p = 0.0059), and also associated with the presence of anti-CCP and RF (p<0.001). Carriage of S1 alleles (D-E-R-A-A at positions 70–74) was associated with less severe disease (p = 0.01), however there was no association between S1 and either anti-CCP or RF, suggesting that the basis for this possible protective effect was not related to autoantibody-producing B cells. Conclusions: These data suggest that multiple biological mechanisms underlie the DRB1 association with rheumatoid arthritis severity.