PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - B Tolusso
AU  - D Frezza
AU  - C Mattioli
AU  - A L Fedele
AU  - S Bosello
AU  - F Faustini
AU  - G Peluso
AU  - V Giambra
AU  - D Pietrapertosa
AU  - A Morelli
AU  - E Gremese
AU  - M De Santis
AU  - G F Ferraccioli
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.