HLA-DR4 alleles with PCR associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Egypt : correlation with disease severity

Abstract EN

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between HLA-DR4 alleles, rheumatoid factor, and disease severity in Egyptian rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Patients & Methods: The association between HLA-DR4 alleles and disease parameters was examined in fifty-four rheumatoid patients and 72 controls with serology (microcytotoxicity test).

DR4 subtypes were then analyzed with sequence specific primers polymerase chain reaction (SSP- PCR).

Results: HLA-DR4 antigen was increased in RA patients and this increase showed a significant difference (p< 0.001) and relative risk (RR= 3.18).

The frequency of DR4 *0405 subtype was high among RA patients and showed a significant difference (p< 0.05 and RR= 3.6).

But DR4 *0404 subtype was increased with no significant difference (p> 0.050).

We also examined the association of DR4 *0405 and *0404 with disease severity and activity there were no significant differences between the association of these subtypes with disease parameters or laboratory findings except with ESR.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that RA is a heterogeneous disease, not only clinically, but also in terms of its immunogenetic background, and that HLA-DR4 alleles can be a useful prognostic factor for RA.