Lack of association of class II MHC alleles with Kawasaki syndrome

Abstract

Little is known about any possible association of Class II MHC antigens with Kawasaki syndrome. Recent refinements in molecular genetic techniques have allowed precise determination of the extensive polymorphism now known to reside in the HLA-D region. Accordingly, 22 Caucasians, 8 Asians, and 3 American Blacks were typed for DRBI, DRB3, DRB4, DQAI, DQBI, and DPBI alleles by oligonucleotide probe hybridization of polymerase chain reaction-amplified genomic DNA and/or RFLP analysis. Among 15 DRBI, 3 DRB3, 9 DQAI, 15 DQBI, and 19 DPBI alleles examined, none were found to be slgnlflcantly associated with Kawasaki !syndrome, although DRw52a (DRB3*OIOI) was slightly decreased in frequency in Caucasians compared to race matched ~controls (P=O.03 uncorr, RR=0.24). These data, therefore, do not support a role for Class II MHC alleles in the : pathogenesis of Kawasaki syndrome. P28