F. Takeuchi et al., POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASSOCIATION OF HLA-DR GENOTYPES WITH JAPANESE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS, Clinical and experimental rheumatology, 14(1), 1996, pp. 17-22
Objective. To clarify the relationship between the HLA-DR genotype and
susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japanese patients. Met
hods. HLA-DR typing and DRB1 genotyping were carried out by PCR and P
CR-SSCP (single stranded DNA conformation polymorphism), respectively.
Results. In RA, the prevalence of HLA-DR4 was significantly higher (5
7.3%, p < 0.05). In particular DRB10405 was predominantly higher (46.
9%, p < 0.05) and DRB10401 was also increased although not significan
tly. HLA-DR8, especially DRB10802, was significantly lower (1.0%, p <
0.01). RA patients homozygous for DRB10405 showed slightly higher va
lues for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, gamma-globulin, and IgG,
as well as positivity for rheumatoid factor and high titers for the Wa
alar-Rose test, and a decrease in the albumin/globulin ratio, albumin,
and hemoglobin in comparison to patients without RA susceptibility ge
nes, although the difference for each of these parameters was not sign
ificant. Conclusion. DRB10405 and DRB1*0802, which are both rare alle
les in Caucasians, are positively and negatively correlated respective
ly, with the pathogenesis of RA in Japan.