HLA class 2 genes in Singaporean Chinese rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: British journal of rheumatology Vol. 33; no. 8; p. 713
• Main Authors: Chan, S H, Lin, Y N, Wee, G B, Koh, W H, Boey, M L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-08-1994
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alleles; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - ethnology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - genetics; Child; China - ethnology; Female; Gene Frequency; Genes, MHC Class I; Genes, MHC Class II; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - genetics; HLA-DQ Antigens - genetics; HLA-DQ beta-Chains; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; HLA-DRB1 Chains; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Singapore; China; Singapore
• ISSN: 0263-7103

This study analysed HLA class 1 and 2 allele associations in Singaporean Chinese patients with RA. Seventy patients (ARA definite or classical) and 80 controls were typed for HLA class 1 alleles by serology and class 2 alleles by serology and the PCR/SSO method. RA patients had higher frequencies of DRB1*0405 (40 vs 12.5%; corrected probability value (PC) < 0.02, relative risk (RR) = 4.7, 95% confidence limit (CL) 2.1-10.6), DRB1*1001 (14.3 vs 1.3%; PC = 0.06, RR = 13.2, 95% CL 1.6-105.7), DQB1*0401 (38.6 vs 12.5%; P = 0.006, RR = 4.4, 95% CL 1.9-10.0) and DQB1*0501 (20 vs 5%; PC = 0.048, RR = 4.8, 95% CL 1.5-15.2). It is concluded that Chinese RA is associated primarily with HLA DRB1*0405 and DRB1*1001 which share common amino acid sequences in the third hypervariable region of the DR beta chains shown to be associated with RA in other ethnic groups. Patients without DRB1*0405 and *1001 had a higher frequency of DRB1*0901, which is in linkage disequilibrium with HLA B46 in the Chinese.