Do most African-American patients with rheumatoid arthritis have the rheumatoid antigenic determinant ( epitope?
Most African-American patients with rheumatoid arthritis did not express the rheumatoid epitope. The predisposition to and severity of rheumatoid arthritis in African-Americans appears to be independent of the presence and dose of the shared rheumatoid epitope.
A small but significant proportion of patients self-referred to their cancer specialists; rates varied by patient race and socioeconomic status. To the extent that self-referral is associated with quality, it may reinforce disparities in care.