Anti-type II collagen antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis. The influence of HLA phenotype.

Antibodies to native chick and bovine Type II collagen were measured by radio immunoassay, in 83 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 14 normal controls. Anti-chick Type II collagen and anti-bovine Type II collagen antibodies were found in 48% and 43% of RA patients, respectively. A strong correlation of antibodies to chick and antibodies to bovine collagen was described, suggesting cross-reactivity between different collagen species. There was an association between the presence of anti-native Type II collagen antibody and the expression of HLA-DR2. It is suggested that the production of anti-collagen antibody may be under genetic control in RA, but not associated with the major genetic marker of disease susceptibility, HLA-DR4.