THE IMPACT OF HLA-DRB1-ASTERISK-0405 ON DISEASE SEVERITY IN KOREAN PATIENTS WITH SEROPOSITIVE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Many reports have described HLA-DRB1 genes as having an influence on d isease severity and susceptibility in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Studi es were undertaken to define the effect of RA-associated alleles on di sease severity in Korean patients with seropositive RA. The results in dicate that the most common RA susceptibility allele. HLA-DRB10405, i s significantly associated with bony erosion, joint deformity and extr a-articular manifestations. However, RA-associated alleles les in Kore ans have less effect on nodular disease than in Caucasians. This sugge sts that the presence of RA-associated alleles, especially HLA-DRB104 05, seems to be a prognostic marker for severe erosive disease in Kore ans.