PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Tolusso, B AU - Frezza, D AU - Mattioli, C AU - Fedele, A L AU - Bosello, S AU - Faustini, F AU - Peluso, G AU - Giambra, V AU - Pietrapertosa, D AU - Morelli, A AU - Gremese, E AU - De Santis, M AU - Ferraccioli, G F TI - Allele *2 of the HS1,2A enhancer of the Ig regulatory region associates with rheumatoid arthritis AID - 10.1136/ard.2008.095414 DP - 2009 Mar 01 TA - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases PG - 416--419 VI - 68 IP - 3 4099 - http://ard.bmj.com/content/68/3/416.short 4100 - http://ard.bmj.com/content/68/3/416.full SO - Ann Rheum Dis2009 Mar 01; 68 AB - Objective: To investigate the role of the HS1,2 enhancer polymorphisms as a new candidate marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to define the possible association with autoantibody positivity and clinical outcome.Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from two cohorts of patients with RA (100 with early RA (ERA) and 114 with longstanding RA (LSRA)) and from 248 gender-matched controls from the same geographical area. Clinical and immunological characteristics were recorded for all the patients.Results: The percentage of the 2/2 genotype was higher in patients with ERA (27.0%), and in patients with LSRA (34.2%), than in controls (14.9%) (ERA: OR = 2.11 (95% CI 1.20 to 3.70) vs controls; LSRA: OR = 2.96 (95% CI 1.76 to 5.00) vs controls). A lower representation of allele *3 was present in patients with ERA (2.0%) than in controls (6.0%; OR = 0.32 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.91)). No significant associations were found between polymorphisms and autoantibodies positivity.Conclusion: The HS1,2A allele *2 associates with early and longstanding RA.