Distribution Of HLA-DRB1 Alleles Research Articles

Olfatory HLA-associated mechanism of formation of married couples in the development of congenital heart diseases in children

Taking into account the significance of the HLA complex in the inflammatory and immune responses, we can assume that the potential for limiting or developing pathology in the next generation will be determined at the stage of selection of certain alleles in the spousal genotype.The aim. To study the role of HLA assortativity in couples with healthy children and couples with children with congenital heart diseases (CHD) through the prism of immunogenetic mechanisms of mutual olfactory choice.Materials and methods. We studied the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in married couples with healthy children and with children having CHD. To identify the associations of HLA-DRB1 alleles with odor preferences, we also studied the group included young males and females. HLA-DRB1 gene typing was carried out in all participants.Results. The combination of HLA-DRB1 alleles in couples with healthy children was similar to the combination of these alleles in the mutual olfactory sympathy between unfamiliar young males and females. Allele combinations in the spouses from the experimental group differ from the group of random selection. The frequency of matches for HLA-DRB1 alleles in married couples with children having CHD without was significantly higher than in the control group.Conclusion. The first stage of selection, associated with olfactory selection, is aimed to the whole population, and it is significantly manifested in the control group (married couples with healthy children). At the same time, in the experimental group (couples with children having CHD), some deviations from the main selection were discovered. Generally, specific HLA-DRB1 allele combinations obtained on the basis of olfactory assessments, indicate the involvement of HLA molecules in pheromone reception.

Association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with rheumatoid arthritis in Split-Dalmatia County in southern Croatia.

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Sinj Region (SR) and the rest of the Split-Dalmatia County (SDC) in Croatia and to determine their relationship with disease severity. Atotal of 74RA patients and 80healthy controls from the SR, and 74RA patients and 80healthy controls from the rest of the SDC were genotyped using sequence-specific oligonucleotide primed PCR. High-resolution typing of HLA-DRB1*04 alleles was performed using the single specific primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSP) method. Serum anti-CCP, rheumatoid factor, C‑reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were measured in all RA patients, whereas disease activity was assessed by DAS-28 and functional status by the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index. The HLA-DRB1*04 allele was more frequent in patients with RA from the SR than that in patients from the rest of the SDC (18.2% vs. 9.5%; P = 0.014), whereas the HLA-DRB1*15 allele was more frequent in patients with RA from the rest of the SDC than in patients from the SR (16.2% vs. 7.4%; P = 0.010). Shared epitope (SE) positive patients from the SR had significantly higher serum anti-CCP and RF antibody levels (P = 0.014 and P = 0.004, respectively), higher disease activity (P = 0.043), and worse functional status (P < 0.001), than SE-positive patients from the rest of the SDC. The observed higher incidence of more severe forms of RA in the SR in comparison to the rest of the SDC might be associated with the higher incidence of HLA-DRB1*04 allele in the SR.

HLA-DRB1 Alleles are Associated With COPD in a Latin American Admixed Population

IntroductionWhile the molecular mechanisms of COPD pathogenesis remain obscure, there is mounting evidence supporting a key role for autoimmunity. Although human leukocyte antigens (HLA) alleles have been repeatedly associated with autoimmune processes, the relation between HLA and COPD remains largely unexplored, especially in Latin American (LA) populations. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the presence of HLA class I and II alleles in COPD patients and healthy controls in a LA population with admixed ancestry. MethodsCOPD patients (n=214) and age-matched controls (n=193) were genotyped using the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. The classic HLA alleles were imputed using HLA Genotype Imputation with Attribute Bagging (HIBAG) and the Hispanic reference panel. Finally, the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles was reexamined in 510 randomly recruited unrelated volunteers. ResultsCODP patients showed a higher HLA-DRB1*01:02 allele frequency (6.54%) than healthy controls (3.27%, p=0.04, OR=2.07). HLA-DRB1*01:02 was also significantly associated with FEV1 (p=0.04) and oxygen saturation (p=0.02), and the FEV1/FVC ratio was higher in HLA-DRB1*15:01-positive patients (p=9×10−3). ConclusionWe report an association among HLA-DRB1 alleles, COPD risk and pulmonary function parameters for the first time in Latin Americans. Since HLA-DRB1 genetic variability relates to the individual autoimmune response, these results support a role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of COPD.

Distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in BRICS countries with a high tuberculosis burden: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death worldwide caused by a single infectious disease agent. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) account for more than half of the world’s TB cases. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) remains the only vaccine available despite its variable efficacy. Promising antigen-based vaccines have been proposed as prophylactic and/or immunotherapeutic approaches to boost BCG vaccination. Relevant antigens must interact with the range of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules present in target populations; yet this information is currently not available. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched for articles published during 2013-2020 to measure the allelic frequencies of HLA-DRB1 in the BRICS. RESULTS: In total, 67 articles involving 3,207,861 healthy individuals were included in the meta-analysis. HLA-DRB1 alleles *03, *04, *07, *11, *13, and *15 were consistently identified at high frequencies across the BRICS, with a combined estimated frequency varying from 52% to 80%. HLA-DRB1 alleles *01, *08, *09, *10, *12, and *14 were found to be relevant in only one or two BRICS populations. CONCLUSIONS: By combining these alleles, it is possible to ensure at least 80% coverage throughout the BRICS populations.

HLA-DRB1 Alleles are Associated With COPD in a Latin American Admixed Population

IntroductionWhile the molecular mechanisms of COPD pathogenesis remain obscure, there is mounting evidence supporting a key role for autoimmunity. Although human leukocyte antigens (HLA) alleles have been repeatedly associated with autoimmune processes, the relation between HLA and COPD remains largely unexplored, especially in Latin American (LA) populations. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the presence of HLA class I and II alleles in COPD patients and healthy controls in a LA population with admixed ancestry. MethodsCOPD patients (n=214) and age-matched controls (n=193) were genotyped using the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. The classic HLA alleles were imputed using HLA Genotype Imputation with Attribute Bagging (HIBAG) and the Hispanic reference panel. Finally, the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles was reexamined in 510 randomly recruited unrelated volunteers. ResultsCODP patients showed a higher HLA-DRB1*01:02 allele frequency (6.54%) than healthy controls (3.27%, p=0.04, OR=2.07). HLA-DRB1*01:02 was also significantly associated with FEV1 (p=0.04) and oxygen saturation (p=0.02), and the FEV1/FVC ratio was higher in HLA-DRB1*15:01-positive patients (p=9×10−3). ConclusionWe report an association among HLA-DRB1 alleles, COPD risk and pulmonary function parameters for the first time in Latin Americans. Since HLA-DRB1 genetic variability relates to the individual autoimmune response, these results support a role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of COPD.

HLA-DRB1 allele distribution among children with rheumatic heart disease in Haji Adam Malik Hospital Medan, Indonesia.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is influenced by genetic factor, microorganism's virulence, and environmental factor. The aim of this study was to determine human leukocyte (HLA)-DRB1 allele among children with RHD in Medan, Indonesia. Methods An observational study was conducted at the Department of Child Health, Haji Adam Malik Hospital Medan from April to June 2017. Inclusion criteria were children aged 5-18 years diagnosed with RHD. Children with concomitant congenital heart disease were excluded. HLA-DRB1 alleles were analyzed using the PCR sequence-specific priming (SSP) technique. Statistical analysis was done using computer software. Results A total of 62 children were enrolled. The mean age of children was 12.6 (SD 3.44) years; 33 (53.2%) were male. The most dominant allele was HLA-DRB1*12, followed by HLADRB1*15. Conclusion It is proven in this research that RHD is influenced by genetic factor with HLA-DRB1*12 allele found to be the most common allele in children with RHD in Medan, Indonesia.

HLA-DRB1 Frequency in Romanian patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract As being the most debated polygenic disease, rheumatoid arthritis elicits great interest in the study of association with genetic factors in various ethnic and racial groups. Some of the HLA-DRB1 alleles are encoding shared epitope amino acids that are not conferring the same risk in various populations. Our study focuses on the evaluation of the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in Romanian patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, along with controls by using PCRSSP method. HLA-DRB1 allele genotyping showed statistically significant differences given by a higher allele frequency for *04, *01 and *14. Also, in our study was observed a lower frequency for *03,*11,*13 and *15 HLA-DRB1 allele in patients group compared with controls, also a high frequency for *0404 and *0408 allele, in contrast with *0401 and *0402 which were significantly lower in patients than in controls. *0403, *0405 and *10 were not associated with early rheumatoid arthritis in our group diagnosed according with new classification criteria ACR/EULAR 2010. In present study we found a negative association of *0402, *11 and *13 with early rheumatoid arthritis. Results of our study are demonstrating the need of a continuous work of allele tracing and associating with rheumatoid arthritis, especially in cases early diagnosed in order to create sufficient premises for instituting a correct and possibly long term remissive treatment.

The Association Between HLA Class II Alleles and the Occurrence of Factor VIII Inhibitor in Thai Patients with Hemophilia A.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between HLA class II alleles and the occurrence of FVIIIinhibitor in Thai hemophilia A patients.Material and Methods: The distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles and DQB1 alleles in 57 Thai hemophilia A patientsand 36 blood donors as controls was determined using the PCR sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP) method, and theassociation between the occurrence of factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitor and the presence of certain HLA class II alleles wasinvestigated.Results: The frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 was higher in the hemophilia A patients with and without FVIII inhibitor,whereas that of DRB1*14, DRB1*07, and DQB1*02 was lower in the hemophilia A patients with FVIII inhibitor, ascompared to controls. Interestingly, only the frequency of DRB1*15 was significantly higher in the patients with inhibitorthan in the controls (P = 0.021). Moreover, the frequency of DRB1*15 in the patients with inhibitor was higher than inthose without inhibitor (P = 0.198).Conclusion: The study’s findings show that the DRB1*15 allele might have contributed to the occurrence of inhibitorin the Thai hemophilia A patients; however, additional research using larger samples and high-resolution DRB1 typingis warranted.

Polymorphism analysis of HLA-DRB1 alleles in seven markets in Jiangsu Han population

Objective To investigate the frequencies of human leukocyte antigen ( HLA)-DRB1 alleles of Chinese Marrow Donor Program (CMDP) donors in seven markets of Jiangsu Han population. Methods 2787 donors from CMDP Jiangsu Branch were typed in HLA-DRB1 locus using polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method or polymerase chain reaction-reverse sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-rSSOP) method. Frequencies of HLA-DRB1 were separately calculated in seven markets and a comparison was made among them. Results A total of 38,33,26,36,37,31,26 alleles in DRB1 locus were separately found in Huai-an, Xuzhou, Taizhou, Suqian, Nanjing, Changzhou, Yangzhou population. The most frequent HLA-DRB1 alleles in Huai-an, Xuzhou, Suqian respectively were DRB1 * 07:01, 09:01, 15:01,12:02; In Nanjing and were DRB1 * 09:01,07:01, 15:01, 12:02; In Yangzhou were DRB1 * 09:01,07:01,15:01,08:03; In Taizhou were DRB1 *09:01, 07:01, 04:05, 15:01; In Changzhou were DRB1 *09:01,07:01, 12:02, 08:03. Conclusion The above results reflected the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in seven markets of Jiangsu Han population, which held abundant polymorphism, and a certain uniqueness in every market. The HLA-DRB1 allele distribution of Nanjing, Yangzhou were the closest groups to northern China, Huaian, Xuzhou, Suqian, Changzhou, Taizhou were close to northern China except DRB1 * 09:01,07:01 in different frequencies. These findings could guide the selection of future donor in CMDP Jiangsu Branch. It also could serve as foundation for HLA related disease research, studies of population genetics and anthropology in Chinese Han population. Key words: Seven markets in Jiangsu; HLA-DRB1; Allele; Frequency

The association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated systemic vasculitis in Chinese patients

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated systemic vasculitis (AASV) is a group of autoimmune diseases. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is devoted to the pathogenesis of these autoimmune diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in Chinese AASV patients and its potential association with clinical and pathologic characteristics. This study included 152 Chinese patients with AASV and 200 healthy controls. Typing of HLA-DRB1 alleles was performed by bidirectional sequencing of exon 2. Compared with normal controls, DRB1*1454 was significantly less prevalent in AASV patients (0/304 vs 14/400, p = 4.6 × 10 −4, p corrected ( p c) = 0.017), whereas DRB1*1101 was significantly more frequent in patients with MPA (32/214 vs 26/400, p = 6.4 × 10 −4, p c = 0.023). In patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) who were PR3-ANCA positive, DRB1*1202 (8/38 vs 20/400, p = 1.3 × 10 −3, p c = 0.047) was more prevalent than in normal controls. Compared with normal controls, HLA-DRB1*1454 was less prevalent in AASV patients, whereas DRB1*1101 was significantly more frequent in patients with microscopic polyangiitis. HLA-DRB1*1202 was prevalent among patients with PR3-ANCA-positive WG.

HLA-DRB1 allele distribution and its relation to rheumatoid arthritis in eastern Black Sea Turkish population

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA [MIM 180300]) is a complex, polygenic inflammatory autoimmune disease, resulting from interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Some of the RA-associated HLA-DRB1 alleles have shared epitope, but their distribution varies among different racial/ethnic groups. This study was aimed at investigating the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with RA in eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. DNA samples of 320 patients with RA and 360 healthy controls were studied for the determination of HLA-DRB1 allele distribution using PCR-SSP method. The allele frequencies of HLA-DRB1*01, *04, and *09 were higher in patients with RA compared with the controls (P < 0.005, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.01, respectively). On the other hand, in patients with RA, HLA-DRB1*13 allele was lower than the controls (P < 0.001). Of the HLA-DRB1*04 subgroups, *0401 (40.83% vs. 18.75%, P < 0.001) was the most frequent allele in patients with RA, while DRB1*0402 (30.00% vs. 12.50%, P < 0.005) allele in the controls. HLA-DRB1 allele frequencies in the patients with RA and the controls showed Hardy-Weinberg rule compliance. Results of this study indicate that HLA-DRB1*01, *04, and *09 alleles were associated with RA, and HLA-DRB1*13 was protective allele against RA. Among the subgroups of HLA-DRB1*04, *0401 was detected to be RA associated, while *0402 was being protective. These results have some differences compared with previous reports originating from other regions of Turkey.

Association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with keloids in Chinese Han individuals

Keloids are common abnormal raised fibroproliferative lesions that can occur following even minor cutaneous trauma. There is strong evidence suggesting a genetic susceptibility in individuals affected by keloids including familial heritability, common occurrence in twins, and high prevalence in certain ethnic populations. Human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) have been proposed to modulate the immune response to keloids. HLA class II molecules are critical to the development of CD4(+) T-lymphocyte responses through their role in antigen presentation. No report has been published on HLA-DRB1 association with keloids in Chinese Han individuals. To investigate the etiology of keloids, the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primer method was used to analyze the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in 192 patients with keloids and 273 healthy control individuals. Controls were matched by sex, age, and race. The HLA-DRB1*15 allele [19.01% vs 12.09%, odds ratio(OR) = 2.10, Pc = 0.024] was significantly more prevalent among keloid patients than healthy controls, whereas the frequency of the HLA-DRB1*03 allele (1.04% vs 4.95%, OR = 0.19, Pc = 0.022) was lower among keloid patients. Furthermore, through stratified analysis, we found that the HLA-DRB1*15 allele is related to the multiple-site group, severe group, and family history of keloids. This study supports an association between HLA-DRB1 alleles and susceptibility or resistance to keloids in Chinese Han individuals. The association of certain HLA alleles with susceptibility or resistance to keloids provides clues to choosing proper preventive strategies against keloid disease.

Estimating unbiased haplotype frequencies from stem cell donor samples typed at heterogeneous resolutions: a practical study based on over 1 million German donors

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) distribution in donor registry data is typically nonrandom as, mostly for economical reasons, typing additional loci or resolving ambiguities is selectively performed based on the previously known HLA type. Analyzing a sample of over 1 million German stem cell donors, we practically show the extent of the bias caused by the restriction of the input data for HLA haplotype frequency (HF) estimation to subsets selected according to their higher HLA typing resolution and, conversely, the correctness of estimates based on unselected data with a methodology suitable for heterogeneous resolution. We discuss algorithmic aspects of this approach and, also because of the sample size, provide some new insights into the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in the German population and the application of HFs in unrelated donor search.

The role of HLA-DRB1 alleles on susceptibility of Chinese patients with anti-GBM disease

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease, a rare autoimmune disorder, is associated with HLA-DR15 genotype in Caucasian and Japanese populations. But the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in Chinese patients with anti-GBM disease and their association with clinical characteristics of anti-GBM disease are to be determined. The present study analyzed the HLA-DRB1 alleles by sequence based typing in 44 Chinese patients with anti-GBM disease and 200 healthy controls. The effects of DRB1 alleles on susceptibility to anti-GBM disease were examined by a relative predispositional effects (RPEs) method. The clinical and pathological data of the patients were collected and analyzed. The DRB1*1501 allele was significantly associated with anti-GBM disease (p=1.597 x 10(-7)). The RPEs test also showed a significant increased frequency of DRB1*0404 in anti-GBM disease (p=0.037). Interestingly, the patients with DRB1*1501 or 0404 had more crescent formation in glomeruli than those without the two alleles (p=0.021). But the DRB1*0404 was rare in both patients and control groups, which indicates that the importance of the *0404 allele is limited in anti-GBM disease. We conclude that the HLA-DRB1*1501 allele is a genetic marker for susceptibility to anti-GBM disease.

Distribution of HLA-DRB1 Alleles in Argentinean Patients with Chagas' Disease Cardiomyopathy

Chronic Chagas' disease occurs in a variable number of infected individuals and mainly manifests as an inflammatory cardiomyopathy that may lead to a fatal course. The factors underlying the establishment of chronic myocardial lesions are not fully understood. The study included 71 unrelated individuals serologically positive for T. cruzi. A group of 81 no related healthy individuals with neither symptoms nor previous diagnosis of Chagas' disease was studied as control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood using the standard salting out method and used as a template to amplify by the PCR the polymorphic second exon of the HLA-DRB1. PCR products were hybridized separately with sequence-specifics oligonucleotides (SSOP). DRB1*0409 and DRB1*1503 alleles were significantly more prevalent in seropositives (pC = 0.002, OR: 26.17 and 24.87 respectively). The prevalence of DRB1*1103 allele was statistically significant in the group control and could be associated with resistance Chagas' disease (pC = 0.026, OR: 0.19). Increased significance frequency of DRB1*1503 allele was found among cardiomyopathy patients suggesting that this antigen might be related with the genetic susceptibility to cardiac damage in these patients (pC = 0.014, OR: 9.22).

The association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with rheumatoid arthritis in the Chinese Shantou population: a follow-up studyThis paper is one of a selection of papers in this Special Issue, entitled International Symposium on Recent Advances in Molecular, Clinical, and Social Medicine, and has undergone the Journal's usual peer-review process.

We investigated the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in a sample of the Chinese Shantou population, and explored the relationship between HLA-DRB1 alleles and the susceptibility and clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied 117 consecutive patients with RA and control groups, including 38 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus and 100 healthy individuals. HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed using PCR with sequence-specific primers. HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes were detected using spot hybridization of PCR products with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes. We compared the frequency of HLA-DRB1 alleles in healthy control patients with that in patients with RA. Patients with RA were evaluated for sex, age at disease onset, disease duration, extra-articular involvement, presence of autoantibodies, global functional status, and radiographic damage. The frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 was found to be significantly higher in RA patients than in healthy individuals (49.6% vs 18.0%, odds ratio = 4.478, P < 0.001). HLA-DRB1*0405 was the most prominently associated subtype in RA patients (62.1% vs 27.8%, odds ratio = 4.255, P = 0.011). Compared with the HLA-DRB1*04-negative RA group, the mean duration of RA in the HLA-DRB1*04-positive RA group was longer, and the mean age at disease onset was lower. A 2-9 year follow-up study was performed, and the risk factors associated with the radiographic progression of RA were determined. Logistic regression analysis revealed that only HLA-DRB1*04 alleles were significantly associated with the radiographic progression of RA (B = 2.652, P = 0.018, Exp(B) = 14.182). Our observations indicated that the HLA-DRB1*04 alleles, especially the subtype HLA-DRB1*0405, were significantly associated with RA susceptibility in the Chinese Shantou population. The HLA-DRB1*04 alleles may be associated with the severity of RA.

HLA-DRB1 genotyping in Italian migraine patients

We examined the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in a cohort 255 Italian migraine patients and in a control group of 325 healthy subjects. 214 patients fulfilled the ICHD-II criteria for migraine without aura and 41 patients the criteria for migraine with aura. The frequency of DRB1 *16 allele was found to be significantly increased in migraine without aura patients ( p = 0.02; OR 1.97, 95% CI: 1.10–3.54) than in healthy controls. The frequencies of HLA-DRB1 alleles were not significantly different between migraine with aura patients and controls. We did not detect any effect of DRB1 alleles on age at onset, duration of the disease, frequency and duration of migraine attacks. Our data suggest the presence of a genetic susceptibility factor for migraine without aura within the HLA region.

No association between HLA-DRB1 alleles and susceptibility to advanced stage endometriosis in a Korean population

The aetiological factors of endometriosis still remain poorly understood. While there is growing evidence that genetic and immunological factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of the disease, HLA-DRB1 alleles have been reported to be associated with the risk of endometriosis in Japanese populations. This study was performed to determine whether susceptibility to advanced endometriosis is also associated with HLA-DRB1 alleles in a Korean population, which is the closest ethnic group to Japanese. We recruited 100 Korean patients with advanced endometriosis confirmed by surgical and histolological examinations. HLA-DRB1 genotyping was carried out in two steps. Low to intermediate resolution typing was performed by PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotide hybridization method, followed by high resolution typing utilizing group-specific amplification and PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism method. Distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles was compared with that of 800 unrelated ethnically matched individuals as well as 108 healthy female subjects. Genotyping revealed that the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with advanced endometriosis was not different from that in the two control groups. The findings of the present study suggest that susceptibility of advanced endometriosis is not associated with HLA-DRB1 alleles in a Korean population, which is apparently not the case in the Japanese population.

Association between migraine and HLA–DRB1 gene polymorphisms

We examined the distribution of HLA–DRB1 alleles in a cohort of 255 Italian migraine patients and in a control group of 325 healthy subjects. The frequency of DRB1*12 allele was found to be significantly reduced (p=0.02) in patients with migraine while the DRB1*16 allele was significantly increased (p=0.04) in comparison with controls. When the patients were divided into disease subgroups (migraine with and without aura), HLA–DRB1**16 allele was significantly increased (p<0.05) only in migraine without aura patients. We conclude that, in Italian patients, migraine is associated with different alleles of the HLA–DRB1 locus. Our data suggest the presence of a genetic susceptibility factor for migraine within the HLA region.

Susceptibility to ovarian endometriosis in Polish population is not associated with HLA-DRB1 alleles

Endometriosis is associated with inflammatory autoimmune reactions; however, aetiopathogenesis of the disease is still poorly understood. While autoimmune disorders are often associated with particular HLA alleles, the possible involvement of HLA in the aetiopathogenesis of endometriosis is still a subject of controversy. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in women with endometriosis. To ensure homogeneity of the studied group, only women with ovarian endometrial cysts were included. The study included 65 Polish patients of Caucasian origin in whom ovarian endometriosis had been confirmed by laparoscopic and histopathological examinations. HLA-DRB1 alleles were typed using a reverse slot blot method. A frequency of particular HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients was compared with that of a control group of 700 unrelated ethnically matched individuals as well as 193 age-matched women without endometriosis. No statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with ovarian endometriosis as compared with control populations. The results of the present study show that ovarian endometriosis is not associated with particular HLA-DRB1 allele(s). This may suggest that aetiology of this form of endometriosis may be not primarily associated with class II HLA-mediated autoimmune reactions.