RESEARCH - HLA-DR genotypes in familial RA: increased frequency of protective and neutral alleles in a multicase family

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J Rheumatol. 2005 Dec;32(12):2299-302.

HLA-DR genotypes in familial rheumatoid arthritis: increased frequency of

protective and neutral alleles in a multicase family.

National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest, Hungary.

zsilaksz@...

OBJECTIVE: We describe a unique family where each of the 5 siblings in the

second generation has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two other members of the

family have RA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), respectively. No

members of previous generations in the family had documented inflammatory

arthritis. Due to the suspected genetic predisposition, HLA-DR genotypes

were determined in the affected siblings and their parents, children, and

grandchildren. We investigated the possible role of various HLA-DR alleles

in the evolution of RA in this multicase family. METHODS: HLA-DRB1* alleles

were determined by polymerase chain reaction using the sequence-specific

primer-Olerup method. RESULTS: The most common alleles in the 6 persons with

RA were HLA-DRB1*07 and DRB1*15, which are known to be protective and

neutral in RA. No patient or family member carried any HLA-DR4 alleles.

CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1*07 and DRB1*15 alleles are thought to be protective or

neutral in RA. However, the majority of RA patients in the family and nearly

half of all family members carried these alleles, suggesting a role of these

genotypes in susceptibility to RA. No RA patient in this family carried

HLA-DR4 alleles. Thus, in our rare family with 6 RA cases, an unexpected

genetic background may be involved in the increased susceptibility to

inflammatory arthritis.

PMID: 16331753

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstra\

ctPlus & list_uids=16331753

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