Taking into account all 13 HLA-DRB1 alleles, a significant association between RA and rs7574865STAT4 as well as rs2476601PTPN22 remained (P = 2.8 × 10-4 and P = 1.9 × 10-3, respectively), whereas the other SNPs failed to reach the level of statistical significance (rs10499194OLIG3/TNFAIP3, P = 0.140; rs6920220OLIG3/TNFAIP3, P = 0.079; rs3761847TRAF1/C5, P = 0.771; rs10818488TRAF1/C5, P = 0.897). Here, HLA-DRB1 is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.