Stratification of the EOPA-JCA group into antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive (n = 18) and ANA negative (n = 25) individuals revealed that ANA positivity was only associated with DRB1*1301 (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.0-17.3), DPB1*0201 (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.0-15.7) and DQB1*0603 (OR 11.5, 95% CI 2.5-53.4).
Interaction between HLA-DR and HLA-DP, and between HLA and interleukin 1 alpha in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis indicates heterogeneity of pathogenic mechanisms of the disease.
Certain HLA associations (DRB1*0801, DPB1*0201) appear to be present in patients with JA in most studies; others (DRB1*1301, DPB1*0301) are more variable.
In contrast to what is observed in patients with pauciarticular JRA, the frequency of DPB1*0201 was not increased in any polyarticular JRA patient group.