Association of HLA–Dw16 with rheumatoid arthritis in Yakima Indians. Further evidence for the “shared epitope” hypothesis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is prevalent in Yakima Indians, a Native American tribe. HLA–DR4, the HLA specificity commonly associated with RA in Caucasians, is rare among the Yakima. Using a specific oligonucleotide probe that recognizes DR4 nucleotide sequences associated with RA, a rare HLA–Dw16 gene was identified in 83% of Yakima patients with RA and in 60% of Yakima control subjects. This shared sequence encodes a discrete class II epitope that is highly correlated with RA in both DR4 positive and DR4 negative individuals.

Molecular Genetic Analysis of HLA—DR and HLA—DQ Genes Among Anti—U1‐70‐kd Autoantibody Positive Connective Tissue Disease Patients

“…A postulated explana-tion for these findings is the fact that disease susceptibility is primarily associated with "shared epitopes" within the HLA system which are not fixed to a single genotype (14,424). The "shared epitope" hypothesis of RA has also been supported by the identification of this same shared epitope among Japanese RA patients with the HLA-Dwl5 subtype of DR4 (41) and among Yakima Indian RA patients with the Dw16 subtype of DR6 (46).…”

Increased prevalence of systemic sclerosis in a native american tribe in oklahoma. Association with an amerindian HLA haplotype

“…In most of these populations, HLA alleles predisposing to the disease have been found to occur in high frequencies (29,31,32). Systemic lupus erythematosus has been reported to occur commonly in the Crow, Arapaho, and Sioux tribes (33), and more recently in southeast Alaskan Indians (30), but any associated HLA alleles or other genetic markers have not been reported.…”

HLA–DR4 subtypes in new zealand polynesians. predominance of dw13 in the healthy population and association of dw15 with rheumatoid arthritis

“…RA has been associated with DR4-Dw15 in the Japanese (12), with DR4-Dw15, Dw14, and Dw4 in Israeli Jews (13), with Dw16 in Yakima Indians (14), and most recently, with Dw4 and Dw15 in southern Chinese (15). We now report that RA in New Zealand Polynesians is associated with Dw15.…”