title: HLA typing in a large family with multiple cases of different autoimmune diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because of the concurrence, in members of one family, of different autoimmune disorders [rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis (PS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)], we investigated the genotypes of each member and compared the results with current knowledge of genetic inheritance of rheumatic and other autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera and peripheral blood lymphocytes of 16 family members were collected for HLA typing and investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients with RA were DR4 positive ad 4 of 5 showed the maternal A2B51DR4 haplotype. Two of 3 siblings with the genotype HLA-A2/3, B8/35, DR2/3 had SLE. Patients with IBD and psoriasis shared the haplotype HLA-A3, B35 CW4 DR2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that the important role of patients, sex and confirm the association between HLA haplotype and RA or SLE. They support the hypothesis that autoimmunity is a mendelian dominant trait, and that secondary genes, including these of the major histocompatibility complex, confer phenotypic specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sels
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Westhovens
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Emonds
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vandermeulen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dequeker
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology