TY - JOUR T1 - HLA class II alleles in systemic sclerosis patients with anti-RNA polymerase I/III antibody: associations with subunit reactivities. JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 2392 LP - 2397 VL - 30 IS - 11 AU - Masataka Kuwana AU - Janardan P Pandey AU - Richard M Silver AU - Yutaka Kawakami AU - Junichi Kaburaki Y1 - 2003/11/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/11/2392.abstract N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine HLA class II gene associations with anti-RNA polymerase (RNAP) I/III antibody responses in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, and DQB1 alleles were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based methods in 257 SSc patients (129 Japanese and 128 Caucasians) and 271 race-matched regional controls (138 Japanese and 133 Caucasians). Anti-RNAP I/III antibodies were identified by immunoprecipitation assay, and reactivities to individual RNAP subunits were determined by immunoblots using affinity-purified RNAP I, II, and III. RESULTS: Serum anti-RNAP I/III antibody was detected in 10 (8%) Japanese and 24 (19%) Caucasian patients with SSc. The presence of anti-RNAP I/III antibodies was associated with DRB1*0405, DRB4*01, and DQB1*0401 in Japanese, and with DRB3*02 in Caucasians, but these associations were weak and inconsistent between these 2 ethnic groups. When anti-RNAP I/III-positive SSc patients were divided into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of reactivities to individual RNAP subunit proteins, significant associations of anti-IIa/IIo reactivity with DRB3*02, anti-Ia reactivity with DRB1*04, anti-43-kDa subunit reactivity with DRB4*01, and anti-34-kDa subunit reactivity with DRB1*15 were detected. These HLA associations with subunit reactivities were generally shared by Japanese and Caucasian patients with SSc. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in patients with SSc, anti-RNAP I/III antibodies are composed of subsets defined by combinations of reactivities to individual RNAP subunits having specific HLA class II correlations. ER -