title: Myasthenia gravis and HLA phenotypes in Jamaicans.
abstract: We determined HLA-antigen frequencies and corresponding relative risks (RR) in 30 Jamaicans with myasthenia gravis (MG) and 40 normal controls. Using a microcytotoxicity assay and commercially prepared typing trays, we found that the strongest HLA associations with MG in Jamaicans were with HLA-A2 (RR = 6.15), HLA-B8 (RR = 3.4), HLA-B13 (RR = 7.76), and DQw4 (RR = 3.8). After correction of the P value for the number of antigens tested, only HLA-A2 was statistically significantly increased in MG patients. There was a statistically significant negative association between MG and HLA-DR2, as well as HLA-A9 and -B5. No correlation was observed between HLA phenotype, thymic disease, clinical grades, or disease course. HLA-A2 and sex were independent risk factors for MG, female patients having a higher risk (RR = 5.8). Further studies using larger patient and control groups, locally derived typing sera, and DNA probe analysis are indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smikle
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen