B lymphocyte alloantigens in the study of the genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis.
In order to carry out tissue typing studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 116 sera from pregnant multiparous women were screened for cytotoxicity specific for B lymphocytes. It was possible to identify three sera (M55, M58, M87) which reacted specifically with B cells after absorption with platelets. Each appeared to have a different specificity which was presumed to correspond to an alloantigen marker on the lymphocyte surface. The frequency of these alloantigen markers on B lymphocytes was investigated in patients with classical or definite RA and in controls. One of these, M58, occurred in 32 out of 43 RA patients (74 - 4%) compared with 10 out of 37 controls (27%). This difference was highly significant (P less than 0 - 0005). The relative risk of developing RA is 7 - 85 times greater in those possessing alloantigen M58. The other two B cell alloantigens failed to show any association with RA. The association with M58 may indicate a significant genetic contribution to disease susceptibility in RA.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
- Full Text (PDF)
- Submit a response
- Alert me when this article is cited
- Alert me when eLetters are posted
- Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
- Email this link to a friend
- Similar articles in this journal
- Similar articles in PubMed
- Add article to my folders
- Download to citation manager
- Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with
Register for free content
The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.
Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.
