HLA antigens and adverse drug reactions to sodium aurothiomalate and D-penicillamine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract
The association between HLA antigens and adverse drug reactions (ADR), (e.g. proteinuria, haematological abnormalities, stomatitis, diarrhoea and dermatitis) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to sodium aurothiomalate (gold) and to Dpenicillamine (PA) were studied in 32 patients. Thirtyeight RA patients treated with gold and PA, and with no ADR to these drugs, were used as controls. The frequency of HLA B8 was significantly (p<0.05) increased among RA patients with ADR compared to plasma donors. DR3 was also significantly increased (p<0.05) in RA patients with haematological ADR compared to plasma donors. Haematological ADR occured significantly (p<0.05) more often in DR3 positive patients (55%) than among DR3 negative RA patients (27%).