HLA antigen frequencies among patients with juvenile chronic arthritis and amyloidosis: a brief report.

Amyloidosis is seen in a small number of patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). In order to determine whether particular HLA markers might predispose to the development of amyloid in JCA a group of 45 patients with amyloidosis confirmed by biopsy was typed for the HLA-A, B, C and DR loci. The results confirmed previous smaller studies that no HLA antigen detected by standard serological techniques was associated specifically with the development of amyloidosis. Those antigens which showed an altered frequency (ie. DR4 and DRw8) were known to be associated with the different types of JCA onset represented in this group.