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Rheumatoid arthritis, HLA identity, and age at menarche
C M Deighton1, H Sykes, D J Walker
1Department of Rheumatology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experienced a later age of menarche compared to their sisters without RA. This suggests delayed menarche may be a marker for RA, potentially influenced by HLA-linked genes.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology and Immunology
- Genetics
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease with complex etiology.
- Understanding reproductive factors and genetic predispositions is crucial for RA research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in obstetric and gynecological histories between sisters discordant for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
- To explore the association between age of menarche and RA, considering human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.
Main Methods:
- Study included 98 RA-discordant sister pairs, with 36 HLA-identical pairs.
- Data collected included age of menarche, contraceptive pill use, pregnancy history, and menopause age.
- Statistical analyses included paired t-tests and multiple regression.
Main Results:
- Sisters with RA had a significantly older mean age of menarche (13.90 years) compared to their unaffected sisters (13.49 years).
- This difference was significant in non-HLA-identical pairs but not in HLA-identical pairs.
- No significant differences were found in other obstetric and gynecological variables.
Conclusions:
- Delayed menarche may predispose to RA or serve as a marker for the disease.
- HLA-linked genes appear to play a role in determining age of menarche, independent of RA status.
- Other obstetric and gynecological factors do not show a significant role in RA within this study population.