HLA‐A, B, C, D, DR Antigens and Primed Lymphocyte Typing (PLT) Defined DP‐antigens in Juvenile Chronic Arthritis

Abstract

Patients (48) with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) were typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, -D and -DR antigens and 36 patients were also typed for HLA-D/DR associated DP-antigens with the primed lymphocyte typing technique. In all patients increased frequencies of HLA-B27, HLA-Dw/DP5 and HLA-Dw/DP8 and decreased frequencies of HLA-Dw/-DR/DP2 were found. The increased frequencies of HLA-Dw/DP8 and the decreased frequencies of HLA-Dw/-DR/DP2 were primarily found among patients with persistent pauciarticular arthritis. HLA-Dw/-DR/DP4 frequencies were increased in patients with polyarticular arthritis. The frequencies of HLA-B27 and -Dw/DP5 were increased in both pauciarticular and polyarticular arthritis. Apparently genetic factors controlled by HLA confer susceptibility and/or resistance to JCA and the clinical JCA subdivision into pauciarticular and polyarticular JCA can be supported by the presence of different genetic markers (HLA-antigens) in the 2 groups of JCA-patients. HLA-D, -DR or DP typing may be of value in the prognostic evaluation of patients with pauciarticular-onset JCA.