Association of tumour necrosis factor a, b and c microsatellite polymorphisms with clinical disease activity and induction of remission in early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To study the associations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) a, b and c microsatellite markers with 1) the clinical disease activity and 2) the induction of remissions in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with two treatment strategies.

Methods: In the FIN-RACo (FINnish Rheumatoid Arthritis Combination therapy) trial of two years, 195 patients with recent-onset RA were randomly assigned to receive either a combination (COMBI) (sulphasalazine, methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisolone) or a single (SINGLE) (initially sulphasalazine with or without prednisolone) disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy. TNF a, b and c microsatellite and HLA-DRB1 typings were carried out in 165 (79 COMBI; 86 SINGLE) study completers.

HLA-DR-DQ haplotypes and genotypes in Finnish patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To elucidate the contribution of HLA-DR-DQ haplotypes and their genotypic combinations to susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, and to evaluate the various models for HLA associated risk for the disease in a series of Finnish patients.

Methods: 322 Finnish patients with rheumatoid arthritis were typed for common north European HLA-DR-DQ haplotypes and compared with a series of 1244 artificial family based control haplotypes.

Results: The association of the so called shared epitope (SE) haplotypes (DRB1*0401, *0404, *0408, and *01) with rheumatoid arthritis was confirmed.

Differences between female and male patients with familial rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine whether there are genetic differences between female and male patients with familial rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: 45 men and 119 women from 78 families with RA who all had at least one first degree relative with RA were compared. HLA-DRB1 alleles were analysed, including DRB1*04 subtypes and associations of DRB1*04 haplotypes with DQB1*0301 or DQB1*0302 alleles, the age of the patients at disease onset, the presence of rheumatoid factor (RF), joint erosions, and rheumatoid nodules.

Immunogenetic differences between patients with familial and non-familial rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To search for possible immunogenetic differencies between the patients with familial and non-familial rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The study compared 129 familial RA patients with 217 non-familial patients for the frequencies of HLA-DR antigens including DR4 subtypes, DR4-DQB1*0301 and DR4-DQB1*0302 haplotypes and HLA-B27 antigen as well as the age of disease onset and existence of rheumatoid factor or joint erosions.

Results: Two major differences between familial and non-familial groups were found: firstly, familial RA patients had increased frequency of HLA-DR4 as compared with the non-familial RA group (68.