HLA haplotype analysis in Finnish patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To further characterize the HLA gene products that play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
One hundred thirty-four haplotypes from 67 Finnish RA patients and 77 control haplotypes were analyzed for HLA-DRB1 loci, associated alleles of the HLA-DQB1 locus, alleles of the type 2 transporter-associated antigen processing (TAP2) genes, and HLA-B27. In addition, a panel of microsatellite markers within the HLA class I and class III regions was studied.


RESULTS
The frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 in the haplotypes of RA patients was found to be 34% (45 of 134) compared with 14% (10 of 72) in control haplotypes (P = 0.004). The frequency of HLA-DRB1*13 was decreased in RA haplotypes (4%, or 5 of 134) in contrast to control haplotypes (24%, or 17 of 72) (P = 0.000031). The decrease in DRB1*13 was not secondary to the increase in DRB1*04, since it was also found among DRB1*04-negative haplotypes (P < 0.001). The DRB1*13-associated DQB1*0604 allele was similarly decreased in RA haplotypes (P = 0.025). The TAP2I allele of I/J dimorphism was increased in RA patients (85%, or 114 of 134) as compared with controls (69%, or 49 of 71) (P = 0.011). Of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) microsatellite alleles, TNFa6 and TNFb5 were found to be increased in RA haplotypes (for a6 27% versus 5% in controls [P = 0.00043], and for b5 43% versus 26% in controls [P = 0.037]).


CONCLUSIONS
Both protection-associated and susceptibility-associated alleles can be found among HLA class II genes, and the results suggest that loci outside DR/DQ may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA.
Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Turku, Finland.
J
J
Tuokko
S
S
Nejentsev
R
R
Luukkainen
A
A
Toivanen
J
J
Ilonen
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics
D006682:HLA-DP Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains