title: The HLA-DQ7 and -DQ8 associations in DR4-positive rheumatoid arthritis patients. A combined analysis of data available in the literature.
abstract: Several different lines of evidence have demonstrated that inherited susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with the DRB1 genes encoding the HLA-DR4 and HLA-DR1 molecules. A contrasting hypothesis has recently been proposed, suggesting that, in general, the DRB1 locus is associated with protection to RA and that the RA-associated DRB1 alleles are not responsible for the primary disease association but merely permissive for the susceptibility conferred by the HLA-DQ alleles with which they are in linkage disequilibrium. We have performed a critical review of the literature on the HLA association in RA with special emphasis on studies in which both an HLA-DR and -DQ association has been investigated. Our analyses provide strong evidence against the hypothesis that HLA-DQ molecules play a major role in the general susceptibility to RA. Thus, the strongest association in rheumatoid arthritis is with DRB1 genes rather than DQB1 genes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. fugger@inet.uni-c.dk
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fugger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Svejgaard
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C069546:HLA-DQ7 antigen; C109756:HLA-DQ8 antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen