HLA-DPB1 as a Risk Factor for Relapse in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis: A Cohort Study.

Objective: The antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAVs) form a group of small-vessel vasculitides with systemic involvement. Although the etiology of AAVs remains largely unknown, both genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. Recently, certain alleles in the HLA-DPB1 region on chromosome 6 were shown to be associated with proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA-positive AAV but not with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA-positive AAV.