title: HLA antigens and primary osteoarthritis of the hand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have examined genetic factors associated with either development or severity of primary osteoarthritis (OA). Analyses of the frequencies of HLA antigens in various OA populations have yielded conflicting results; an increased frequency of HLA-A1, B8, and DR4 alleles has been suggested. We investigated the interrelationship between HLA antigens and primary OA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the frequency of HLA-A, B, C, DR, and DQ antigens in 95 patients (82 women, 13 men) with primary OA of the hands compared to 200 controls matched for age, sex, and ethnicity. Class I and Class II HLA antigens were evaluated using conventional serologic typing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference in the distribution of HLA-A1 and B8 antigens was observed in patients with OA compared to controls. By contrast, HLA-B35, B40, DQ1, and CW4 antigens were overrepresented in the OA patients. Haplotype analysis showed an association of B35-DQ1, B40-DQ1, and DR2-DQ1 with increased OA risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a role of the HLA system in the etiopathogenesis of primary OA of the hand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merlotti
authors.forename: Clorinda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santacroce
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Acquafredda
authors.forename: Tullio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bargagli
authors.forename: Norberto Dal
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Canto
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giordano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens