A large-scale genetic analysis reveals a strong contribution of the HLA class II region to giant cell arteritis susceptibility.

Address: Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra," CSIC, PTS Granada, Granada 18016, Spain. Electronic address: [email protected].; Leeds Institute of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Medicine and NIHR-Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK.; Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra," CSIC, PTS Granada, Granada 18016, Spain.; School of Medicine and NIHR-Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.; Unit of Nephrology, University Hospital of Parma, Parma 43126, Italy.; NIHR Manchester Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, Manchester Academy of Health Sciences, Manchester, UK; Arthritis Research UK Epidemiology Unit, University Of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital de la Princesa, IIS-Princesa, Madrid 28006, Spain.; Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona 08036, Spain.; Autoimmune Systemic Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08035, Spain.; Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (IBiS, CSIC, US), Sevilla 41013, Spain.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid 28040, Spain.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Xeral-Calde, Lugo 27004, Spain.; Referral Center for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Milan 20122, Italy.; Department of Medicine, Universita degli Studi di Verona, Verona 37134, Italy.; Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Genova 16132, Italy.; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Parma, School of Medicine, Parma 43126, Italy.; Unit of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, University Hospital of Parma, Parma 43126, Italy.; Unit of Internal Medicine and Immunology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele and Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan 20132, Italy.; Department of Clinical Medicine and Rheumatology, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome 00128, Italy.; Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia 42123, Italy.; Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700, the Netherlands.; Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany.; Vasculitis Clinic, Klinikum Bad Bramstedt & University Hospital of Schleswig Holstein, Bad Bramstedt 24576, Germany.; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen 91054, Germany.; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24105, Germany.; Department of Rheumatology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo 0424, Norway.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital of Southern Norway Trust, Kristiansand 4604, Norway.; Division of Rheumatology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5T 3L9, Canada.; Department of Biostatistics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.; Division of Rheumatology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.; Center for Vasculitis Care and Research, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.; Division of Rheumatology, St. Joseph's Healthcare, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 1Y2, Canada.; Division of Rheumatology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.; Penn Vasculitis Center, Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.; Section of Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.; Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA.; Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.; The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, North Shore - Long Island Jewish Health System, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA.; Department of Rheumatology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, Harrogate HG2 7SX, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, York YO31 8HE, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Dewsbury and District Hospital, Dewsbury WF13 4HS, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield WF1 4DG, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich IP4 5PD, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Croydon Health Service NHS Trust, Croydon CR7 7YE, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust, Hull HU3 2JZ, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Partnership NHS Trust, Staffordshire ST6 7AG, UK.; Department of Rheumatology, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Westcliff-on-Sea SS0 0RY, UK.; Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.; Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, the Netherlands.; Department of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Santander 39008, Spain.