HLA and self-limiting, unclassified rheumatism. A role for HLA-B35?

Objective: To test the hypothesis of increased frequency of HLA-B35 in self-limiting, unclassified rheumatism (SUR).

Methods: Patients (n = 50) were included if they had swelling of one or more joints for more than 24 h and/or pain without trauma of 2 or more joints for one month or longer, and at least one of (1) history of joint swelling, (2) morning stiffness, (3) elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein. Patients fulfilling diagnostic criteria sets of any rheumatic disease and patients with other identified diseases were excluded.

IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) gene polymorphism in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

The gene encoding interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) has a variable allelic polymorphism. The IL1RN*2 allele was recently described as a factor of severity in several autoimmune diseases and was paradoxically associated with increased production of IL-1ra by monocytes in vitro. We studied this polymorphism in 36 patients with possible or definite primary Sjögren's syndrome and found that IL1RN*2 was significantly more frequent in the definite than in the possible form.