Zhao M, et al. - Through 1,443 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis registry, the researchers intended to assess the relationship of HLA-DRB1 haplotypes and shared epitope (SE) with RA severity and all-cause mortality in RA. Via banked DNA, 16 HLA-DRB1 haplotypes and SE status were discovered. A marked correlation of haplotypes VKA, VRA, LRA, SRA, SRE, SKR, and SEA, and SE alleles with seropositivity for rheumatoid factor (RF) and/or anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) was found. Haplotypes VKA and SKR were linked to greater RF concentrations, whereas VRA, DRE, and GRQ were related to lower RF concentrations. Haplotypes VKA, VRA, and LRA were affiliated with greater concentrations of anti-CCP antibody, however, haplotypes SRA, SRE, LEA, SKR, and SEA were markedly associated with lower anti-CCP concentrations. Haplotype VKA was correlated with elevated frequency of radiographic damage during registration but none of the haplotypes had any association with the appearance of subcutaneous nodules. Moreover, higher mortality was noted in haplotypes SKA. Therefore, HLA-DRB1 haplotypes were concluded as individually and variably associated with seropositivity, autoantibody concentrations, and results in RA.