Rheumatoid arthritis in a chippewa band

The Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians in central Minnesota was screened for rheumatoid arthritis, with a 77% completion rate of the reservation census. Rheumatoid arthritis was found in marked excess, namely 6.8% of those evaluated or, minimally, 5.3% of the total band if all persons had been evaluated with no additional cases identified. This relatively closed population thus provides an opportunity to assess genetic and environmental factors of significance in this disease.