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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Jan 7.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 Jul 20;81(1):48–55. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220546

Figure 6. Summary of results on the role of HLA-SE and smoking in the asymptomatic and symptomatic phase of rheumatoid arthritis development.

Figure 6

Meta-analyses in the asymptomatic stage indicated that smoking, but not HLA-SE, is involved in development of ACPA. At CSA onset, both HLA-SE and smoking were associated with presence of ACPA. Only HLA-SE further stimulated progression towards arthritis and ACPA-positive RA. Together these data imply that smoking is involved in autoantibody- and symptom-development, HLA-SE plays a role in autoantibody-maturation, symptom-development and progression to clinical disease.