Smoking increases rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in individuals carrying the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, regardless of rheumatoid factor or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody status.
OBJECTIVE
Smoking is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in individuals with the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE). SE alleles have been shown to be predominantly associated with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP)-positive RA. These risk factors have not been identified for anti-CCP-negative RA. The aim of this study was to investigate whether SE-containing HLA-DRB1 alleles, smoking, or the combination of these factors contributes to the development of RA, depending on the presence or absence of serologic markers, in a Korean population.


METHODS
All of the patients with RA (n =1,482) and all of the control subjects (n = 1,119) were Korean. Four-digit HLA-DRB1 typing was performed by a conventional polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing method. Information about smoking history was obtained through a questionnaire. The patients with RA were tested for anti-CCP antibodies and rheumatoid factor (RF).


RESULTS
The SE alleles had significant effects on anti-CCP antibody and RF formation. The DRB1*0901 allele was associated with the presence of anti-CCP antibodies (odds ratio [OR] 2.49) and RF (OR 2.09). SE alleles and smoking were associated with both anti-CCP-positive and anti-CCP-negative RA. The combination of smoking and double copies of the SE allele increased the risk of anti-CCP-positive RA 36.11-fold and increased the risk of anti-CCP-negative RA 12.29-fold, compared with the risk among nonsmokers not carrying SE alleles. Interactions between SE alleles and smoking were observed for both anti-CCP-positive and RF-positive RA, although the associations of RF-positive RA could be consequences of the underlying anti-CCP antibody status.


CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that the combination of SE alleles and smoking is associated with RA susceptibility regardless of anti-CCP antibody or RF status, but that the combination shows stronger effects in anti-CCP-positive/RF-positive patients with RA than in anti-CCP-negative/RF-negative patients with RA. The SE-smoking interactions were present in anti-CCP-positive and RF-positive RA.
Bang
So-Young
SY
Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
Lee
Kyoung-Ho
KH
Cho
Soo-Kyung
SK
Lee
Hye-Soon
HS
Lee
Kyung Wha
KW
Bae
Sang-Cheol
SC
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004777:Environment; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000276:immunology*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D000939:Epitopes; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C487763:cyclic citrullinated peptide; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor