HLA-DQB1 and rheumatoid arthritis: HLA-DRB1*16 (p = 0.029; OR = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.2–0.88) and HLA-DQB1*0303 are associated with protection against RA.HLA-DQB1*05 and HLA-DRB5 also show a trend towards an association with RA risk factors but without statistical significance.