ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To clarify the influence of the HLA-DRB1 locus on the susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis and the production of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) in a Portuguese population. METHODS: 141 patients with rheumatoid arthritis fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology 1987 revised criteria for rheumatoid arthritis were compared with 150 healthy controls. Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 locus genotyping was assessed by polymerase chain reaction reverse probing assays and sequence-specific primers. Anti-CCP antibodies were quantified by ELISA in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Frequencies between groups were compared by the two-sided Fisher's exact test and considered significant if p<0.05. RESULTS: The HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DRB1*10 groups were highly associated with rheumatoid arthritis (p<0.001 and p = 0.031, respectively). High titres of anti-CCP antibodies were largely associated with the presence of HLA-DRB1*04/10. CONCLUSION: The well-recognised susceptibility alleles to rheumatoid arthritis, HLA-DRB1*04, were associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Portuguese patients. The relatively rare DRB1*10 was also associated with rheumatoid arthritis, as was described previously in other southern European countries. Both groups were associated with high anti-CCP titres, reinforcing its relevance to disease onset.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology , Autoantibodies/immunology , Epitopes/immunology , HLA-DR Antigens/immunology , Peptides, Cyclic/immunology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alleles , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics , Case-Control Studies , Disease Susceptibility , Female , Genotype , HLA-DRB1 Chains , Humans , Immunophenotyping , Male , Middle Aged , Odds Ratio , Portugal , RiskABSTRACT
We studied the sensitivity of H. pylori to clarithromycin and metronidazole, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of H. pylori culture, urease test and histology on a sample of 166 Portuguese patients. We observed a prevalence of 5.8% resistance to clarithromycin and 60% resistance to metronidazole. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostic tests were: culture 98% and 100%, urease test 98% and 91%, histology 50% and 95%, respectively.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/antagonists & inhibitors , Clarithromycin/antagonists & inhibitors , Helicobacter pylori/drug effects , Metronidazole/antagonists & inhibitors , Biopsy , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Gastroscopy , Helicobacter Infections/microbiology , Helicobacter Infections/pathology , Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Sensitivity and Specificity , Stomach/microbiology , Stomach/pathologySubject(s)
Graft Rejection/immunology , Graft Survival/immunology , HLA-DR6 Antigen/immunology , Histocompatibility Testing , Kidney Transplantation/immunology , Postoperative Complications/immunology , Cyclosporine/administration & dosage , Drug Therapy, Combination , Graft Rejection/mortality , Graft Rejection/prevention & control , Graft Survival/drug effects , Humans , Life Tables , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Postoperative Complications/mortality , Postoperative Complications/prevention & control , Prednisolone/administration & dosage , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
PIP: Patterns in labor migration from the Mediterranean region to the European Community are described.^ieng
Subject(s)
Emigration and Immigration , Transients and Migrants , Demography , Developed Countries , Europe , Population , Population DynamicsABSTRACT
To investigate the possible relation between the DR4 antigen and IgM rheumatoid factors (RF). 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were tested for 7 HLA-DR antigens and 38 HLA-A, B, C antigens, and compared with 66 normal controls. The DR4 antigen prevalence was 48.7% in the patients and 12.1% in the controls (p less than 0.001). Studying the relationship between the HLA-DR4 antigen and IgM, the genetic marker was present in 89.7% of 51 seropositive patients and in 39% of 29 seronegatives (p less than 0.00001). On the other hand we discovered a positive association between HLA-DR3 and antinuclear antibodies (p less than 0.01). These results suggest the existence of immune response genes in the major histocompatibility complex of humans.
