title: Characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis relative to HLA-DR in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis in Saudi Arabia in relation to human leukocyte antigen type.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 91 rheumatoid arthritis patients, 72 females and 19 males were studied for the various clinical, laboratory and radiological parameters along with human leukocyte antigen-DR phenotypes. Since human leukocyte antigen-DR10 was most commonly associated with rheumatoid arthritis in our population, we compared those patients with human leukocyte antigen-DR10 to those without.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comparison yielded differences in the presence of rheumatoid nodules, erosions, corticosteroid treatment, joint involvement at presentation, hemoglobin levels, and white cell count. Only the last 3 parameters showed a statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human leukocyte antigen type of Saudi patients with rheumatoid arthritis influenced the course of the disease but only to a limited extent.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. asarfaj@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Al-Arfaj
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens