title: Association between HLA-D region epitopes and multiple sclerosis in Arabs.
abstract: We have studied the HLA associations of MS patients in Arab patients from two regions. Those patients from the Mediterranean area showed an association of MS with HLA-DR2 (p less than 0.001) and -DQw1 (p less than 0.05), whilst in those from the Gulf there was an association with -DRw53 (p less than 0.02). In the Mediterranean patients -DRw52 was negatively associated with MS (p less than 0.05). In the control populations from the two regions there was a considerable variation in the incidence of HLA antigens. Thus, Gulf Arabs had an increased incidence of -DR1 (p less than 0.05), -DR2 (p less than 0.02), -DR6 (p less than 0.05) and decreased incidence of -DR5 (p less than 0.05), -DRw52 (p less than 0.02) and -DQw3 (p less than 0.01) compared to the Mediterranean control population. These findings are discussed in relation to the aetiology of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D015808:HLA-DR6 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D015798:HLA-DR1 Antigen; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D015808:HLA-DR6 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II