title: Association between the HLA-DRB1 gene and clinical features of systemic sclerosis in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether HLA-DR alleles are associated with the development and clinical features of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Koreans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine patients (74 women and five men; 45 diffuse types and 34 limited types; mean age at diagnosis 43.9 years) fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SSc were enrolled. The controls were 144 healthy, disease-free Koreans. HLA-DRB1 genotypes were assessed by the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe (PCR-SSOP) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The HLA-DRB1*15 allele was increased in anti-topoisomerase I autoantibody (anti-topo I)-positive SSc patients [p = 0.003, p corrected (p(corr)) = 0.039, odds ratio (OR) = 3.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45-8.13] compared with controls. The DRB1*11 allele was also observed more frequently in anti-topo I-positive SSc than in controls (13.3% vs. 4.2%) but not statistically significant (p = 0.053, p(corr) = 0.689). In patients with SSc, the DRB1*04 allele was associated with subcutaneous calcinosis (p = 0.048, OR = 4.56, 95% CI 1.07-19.37). Patients with overlap syndrome showed a negative association with the DRB1*04 allele (p = 0.036, OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.08-0.91).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HLA-DRB1*15 allele was associated with the development of anti-topo I-positive SSc in Koreans. In addition, the DRB1*04 allele was associated with certain clinical features in SSc patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: C-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Joung
authors.forename: J-B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: W-T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: G-G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: H-K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: D-H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes