title: Lack of correlation between HLA-B35 resistance against herpes labialis and antibody titers to HSV-1.
abstract: To investigate whether genetic factors linked to the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) might influence individual resistance to recurrent herpes labialis (RHL), we studied the frequencies of HLA-A, -B, and -C antigens in a sample of Sicilian population. The frequency of HLA-B35 was significantly decreased in the patient group (p corrected = 0.018). Consequently, the relative risk of development of RHL in a subject positive for HLA-B35 was 20 times smaller than in a subject who does not bear B35. Furthermore, a study was made of the possible relationship between the presence of HLA-B35 antigen and antibody titers to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in 62 persons affected or not by RHL. Significantly elevated titers to HSV-1 were found in the diseased group (p less than 0.001), but the geometric mean of antibody titers in HLA-B35 positive subjects was not different from that of B35 negative subjects either of RHL-affected or in healthy persons. These data are in a good agreement with the hypothesis that humoral immune responses play a marginal role in the protection from HSV-1 recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallina
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cumbo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caprera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006560:Herpes Labialis / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015797:HLA-B35 Antigen; D015236:HLA-C Antigens