HLA class II and T cell receptor gene polymorphisms in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis

HLA-DRB, DQA and DQB genes as well as the T cell receptor (TcR) alpha, beta, and gamma genes were studied by Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis alone (Ps). A subtype of DR7, DR7a, was found in 38.8% of patients with PsA, 41.5% of patients with Ps, and in 8% of healthy individuals (N) (PsA vs N: pc = 0.0002, RR = 7.1; Ps vs N: pc = 0.0002, RR = 7.9). No association with TcR genes was found. Our findings suggest either that the DR7a allele may be in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-Cw6 or that it may be an important susceptibility factor for PsA and Ps.