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HLA‐DRB1* GENE SEQUENCES IN HLA‐DR4 POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Author(s) -
Becking A.,
Pluschke G.,
Krawinkel U.,
Melchers I.,
Peter H.H.,
Lang B.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of immunogenetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.41
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1744-313X
pISSN - 1744-3121
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-313x.1993.tb00096.x
Subject(s) - rheumatoid arthritis , epitope , exon , human leukocyte antigen , allele , biology , immunology , gene , major histocompatibility complex , genetics , antigen
SUMMARY The second exon of the DRB1 gene encoding for the first domain of the HLA‐DR β‐chain was sequenced in 16 patients (10 DR4/DR1 positive, 6 DR4/DR1 negative) with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We could confirm the strong association of susceptibility to RA with functionally equivalent conformations on otherwise distinct MHC molecules. At least one HLA‐DR allele in all of the analysed DR4 or DR1 positive patients showed such an epitope with a minimal variability limited to residue 71. However, in HLA‐DR4 and ‐DR1 negative patients such a similar epitope could not be detected.