title: HLA genes associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Identification of susceptibility alleles using specific oligonucleotide probes.
abstract: We examined the association of individual HLA genes with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using oligonucleotide probes that identified both DR4-associated and non-DR4-associated genes. Two distinct HLA-DR beta alleles (Dw4 and Dw14) were found in DR4+ RA patients compared with controls (Dw4 50% versus 17%; Dw14 35% versus 5%; total DR4 73% versus 30%), indicating that these 2 alleles are independent susceptibility genes. Remarkably, the majority of the DR4- RA patients also demonstrated a linear DNA sequence, apparently "shuffled" between different susceptibility alleles, identified with an oligonucleotide probe to a key portion of the Dw14 gene.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Program, Virginia Mason Clinic, Seattle, WA 98101.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Nepom
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Byers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seyfried
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Healey
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Wilske
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stage
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Nepom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015342:DNA Probes; D015343:DNA Probes, HLA; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D005807:Genes, Overlapping; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D015343:DNA Probes, HLA; D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C053186:HLA-DQ2 antigen; C050381:HLA-Dw14 antigen; C053495:HLA-Dw4 antigen