CLASS-I ASSOCIATIONS AND FREQUENCIES OF CLASS-II HLA-DRB ALLELES BY RFLP ANALYSIS IN CHILDREN WITH RHEUMATOID-FACTOR-NEGATIVE JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS

A total of 94 patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) was teste d for HLA class I by serology and for class II by RFLP typing. Early o nset JCA (EOPA) is associated with HLA-A2, DR5 and DR8 in both males a nd females. The combination (joint occurrence) of these JCA associated alleles (A2, DR5, DR8) is frequently seen in patients with chronic ir idocyclitis. Late onset pauciarticular disease has an increased freque ncy of HLA-B27, especially in males. Our data confirm that polyarticul ar JCA with early childhood onset (less-than-or-equal-to 4 years) is a ssociated with DR5 and DR8 and has a different immunogenetic backgroun d from polyarticular JCA with later childhood (>4 years) onset (associ ated with DR4).