RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS AND LYMPHOCYTE-B ALLOANTIGEN HLA-DRW4

Abstract

Forty Caucasian patients with classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis were tested for 7 HLA-DR alloantigens and 37 HLA-A, B and C antigens and compared with 125 and 450 healthy controls, respectively. HLA-DRw4 was significantly (corrected P = 10-3) increased in rheumatoid arthritis (55%) compared with controls (23%). There was no significant correlation between clinical, radiological or serological disease parameters and HLA-DRw4. The frequency of HLA-B8 was increased in the patient group; the corrected P value was not significant.