Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-Cw0303, HLA-Cw04, and HLA-Cw07 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility of rheumatoid arthritis in Chinese Han patients from Southern China

This study aimed to investigate the association between human leukocyte antigen Cw (HLA-Cw) polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Chinese Han patients in the Jiangsu area (Southern China). Polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers were used to detect HLA-Cw01–08 of 201 RA patients and 211 healthy individuals from Zhongda Hospital (China). The allele frequency distribution of HLA-Cw and genotypic differences between the two groups were analyzed. The frequency of HLA-Cw0303 in patients with RA was significantly higher than that in controls, while the frequency of HLA-Cw04 was lower than that in controls (P<0.05). The gene frequency of HLA-Cw07 in anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP)-negative patients was higher than that in controls (P=0.044). The frequency of HLA-Cw04 was decreased in the short duration subgroup and increased in the long duration subgroup (P<0.05). Compared to controls, the frequency of HLA-Cw0303 in patients with RA and morning stiffness was increased (P=0.004), while the frequency of HLA-Cw04 was decreased ( 0.005). These results suggest that HLA-Cw0303 is a susceptibility gene for RA in Chinese Han patients in the Jiangsu area of southern China. The HLA-Cw04 gene may be a protective factor against RA, while HLA-Cw07 might play a protective role in the production of anti-CCP in the long-term course in patients with RA.