DRB1 alleles in polymyalgia rheumatica and rheumatoid arthritis in southern France.

To investigate the association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 55 patients with PMR without giant cell arteritis, 203 patients with RA and 230 controls, all from the European population of Marseille, were HLA-DRB1 genotyped by PCR-SSO. HLA-DRB1*01 was significantly increased in both the PMR and RA groups compared to controls (35% versus 17%, P(c) < 0.05, and 41% versus 17%, P(c) < 0.

HLA DRB1, DMA, and DMB gene polymorphisms in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To study the influence of DMA and DMB genes on susceptibility to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Methods: HLA-DRB1, DMA and DMB polymorphisms were defined by PCR SSOP in 203 European Mediterranean RA patients and 181 unrelated healthy controls.

Results: No significant difference in the phenotype frequencies of DMA and DMB alleles was observed between patients and controls.