Early treatment of recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis patients impairs the effect of HLA class II antigents on the progression of joint destruction

HLA class II antigens influence disease progression as measured by extend of joint destruction in RA. This effect is supposed to be caused by formation of autoreactive T-cells after presentation of (auto)antigens in the context of HLA class II. To investigate whether in patients with recent-onset RA early DMARD treatment could prevent the involvement of autoreactive T cells, we analyzed the association of HLA class II and joint damage in 110 patients with early RA that were treated according to the pyramid strategy with DMARDs and 98 patients with early RA that were promptly treated with DMARDs at two weeks after the first visit.