ß(2) Adrenoceptor gene single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with rheumatoid arthritis in northern Sweden

Objective: To examine the common variants at positions 16 and 27 and their association with RA. Methods: An allele-specific polymerase chain reaction to determine the common variants at positions 16 and 27 was used in 154 patients with RA and 198 ethnically matched healthy subjects from northern Sweden. Results: Carriage of Arg16 and of Gln27 was associated with RA. Carriage of Gln27 was associated with activity of the disease and in combination with non-carriage of Arg16 with higher levels of rheumatoid factor. Conclusion: The ß2-AR SNPs may thus constitute an additional non-major histocompatibility complex association in RA