HLA-DR genotypes in familial rheumatoid arthritis: increased frequency of protective and neutral alleles in a multicase family.

Objective: We describe a unique family where each of the 5 siblings in the second generation has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two other members of the family have RA and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), respectively. No members of previous generations in the family had documented inflammatory arthritis.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha and heat-shock protein 70-2 gene polymorphisms in a family with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence of TNF-alpha-308 polymorphism among the 29 members of a family with RA and the association between the MHC-linked biallelic HSP70-2 gene and the TNF-alpha polymorphism. Five of the members with RA were diagnosed by using the revised 1987 ACR criteria, and 1 member suffered from SLE.

Methods: The variations in the TNF-alpha and the HSP70-2 genotypes were analyzed by PCR-RFLP, using NcoI and PstI restriction enzymes.