Association of rheumatoid arthritis with HLA in three South African populations--whites, blacks and a population of mixed ancestry.
The association between rheumatoid arthritis and HLA was studied in three South African populations: whites (N = 66), blacks (N = 33) and patients of mixed ancestry (Cape Coloureds) (N = 183). The antigens of the HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ loci were detected by microlymphocytotoxicity assay and their frequencies in the three patient groups were compared with the corresponding frequencies in normal individuals of the same population group. HLA-DR4 was significantly associated with rheumatoid arthritis in whites (P less than 0.0001), blacks (P less than 0.001) and patients of mixed ancestry (P less than 10(-6]. The relative risk for HLA-DR4 was 3,2 in whites, 3,9 in blacks and 3,7 in patients of mixed ancestry. Other significant associations detected were with HLA-A2 in whites and HLA-B8 and DQw3 in patients of mixed ancestry. The constant association with HLA-DR4 seen in the different populations provides support for the suggestion that the HLA genes themselves are responsible for the genetic susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis.
Provincial Laboratory for Tissue Immunology, Provincial Administration of the Cape of Good Hope (Hospitals Department), Cape Town.
R W
RW
Martell
E D
ED
du Toit
A A
AA
Kalla
O L
OL
Meyers
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics*; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013019:South Africa; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens