title: HLA-DR antigens and disease patterns of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: HLA-DR antigens were determined in 111 patients with classic or definite rheumatoid arthritis. HLA-DR4 was significantly (P corr. less than 10(-6] increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (54%) compared with controls (23.2%). HLA-DR 5 was decreased in rheumatoid arthritis (12.6% vs 26.4% of controls); however, the corrected P value was not significant. There were no significant differences with regard to various clinical, radiological and serological parameters between HLA-DR 4 positive and negative patients. However, a milder course of rheumatoid arthritis was observed in DR 7 positive patients: Patients with this antigen were associated significantly with seronegativity and low titers of IgM-rheumatoid factor. Despite a similar disease duration patients with DR 7 had a significantly lower number of joints with inflammatory arthritis (synovitic swelling with limitation of movement) and developed less frequently severe radiological changes as joint ankylosis than DR 7 negative patients. In addition to the well known association between rheumatoid arthritis and HLA-DR 4, our data indicate that HLA-DR 7 may have a protective effect on the course of rheumatoid arthritis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D015809:HLA-DR7 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D015809:HLA-DR7 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor