In addition, compared with ethnicity-matched control populations with RA alone, an association with HLA-DRB1*0405 has been identified in a cohort of Japanese RA-BR patients21 and an association with the shared epitope (SE) allele HLA-DRB1*0401 has been identified in a cohort of French RA-BR patients.65 This strengthens the hypothesis that the presence of bronchiectasis with or without recurrent infection may drive the development of RA autoantibodies in susceptible individuals (HLA-DRB1 SE carriers). This evidence concerns the gene HLA-DRB1 and rheumatoid arthritis.