Additional analyses further buttressed the statistical support for these conclusions: (i) a haplotype sliding window analysis of all SNPs genotyped in the chr 9q33.2 region demonstrated strong statistical evidence for the TRAF1-region harboring RA risk variants (Pcomb = 4.15E-08) and (ii) haplotype analysis of SNPs within the 70 kb LD Block 1, identified a common protective haplotype (Pcomb = 3.08E-08) and a less frequent risk haplotype (Pcomb = 8.00E-09). This evidence concerns the gene TRAF1 and rheumatoid arthritis.