HLA-DR versus HLA-B5-CREG antigens in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Thirty caucasian patients suffering from classic erosive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with a condition persisting for more than 8 years, were examined together with 67 healthy control subjects with regard to associations to HLA-DR and HLA-B-CREG antigens (B5-, B8-, B12-, B16- and B27-CREG). We found a significant correlation of seropositive RA (SPRA) with HLA-DR4 (9/14 patients = 64% chi 2 = 11.8, p less than 0.05), and seronegative RA (SNRA) with B5-CREG antigens (14/16 patients = 88%, chi 2 = 7.8, p less than 0.05). This HLA locus-differing association of SPRA and SNRA could, in addition to the known differences in clinicophenomenological parameters, be additional proof of the independent entity of these two forms of illness.