title: High frequency of HLA-DR5 in Greek patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B.
abstract: Sixty unrelated Greek patients with haemophilia (46 with haemophilia A and 14 with haemophilia B) were typed for HLA-A, B and DR antigens. A highly significant increase in the frequency of HLA-DR5 was observed in both groups of patients (58.6% vs 30.0%, chi 2 = 10.47, pc less than 0.03, RR = 3.31 for haemophilia A and 78.5% vs 30.0%, chi 2 = 12.32, pc less than 0.007, RR = 8.5 for haemophilia B). An increased frequency of HLA-B13 was also observed in patients with haemophilia A (15.2% vs 5.7%, chi 2 = 5.74, pc less than 0.4, RR = 2.9). Thirty of the 60 patients (50.0%) were positive for LAV/HTLVIII antibodies. HLA-DR5 was equally distributed in patients with and without these antibodies (63.3% and 63.3%, respectively). The presence of DR5 did not correlate with the severity of haemophilia A or B. These results may suggest an influence of gene(s) on chromosome 6 in haemophilia A and haemophilia B and no effect of HLA antigens in the susceptibility to LAV/ HTLVIII infection among haemophiliac patients.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006115:Greece; D015805:HLA-DR5 Antigen; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000235:genetics*; D002836:Hemophilia B / Q000235:genetics*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015805:HLA-DR5 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II