HLA-A, -B, and -DR antigens in North African patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Seventy-six North African patients (most from Algeria) affected with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have been studied for their HLA-A, -B, and -DR phenotypes and compared with a control North African population. Antigens HLA-A3, HLA-B5 and HLA-Bw15 were found more frequently in the NPC group than in the control group (30.3% vs 17.6%, 38.2% vs 24.4% and 9.2% vs 0.8%, respectively). HLA-Aw33, HLA-B14 and HLA-DR4 were less frequent in the patients than in the controls (3.9% vs 16.8%, 1.3% vs 16% and 13.2% vs 29.1%, respectively). After correction for the number of specificities tested, these differences were not statistically significant. They were, however, more striking when compared to normal Kabyles (Algerian Berbers), a major ethnical population in Algeria, with lower incidences of the HLA-B5 antigen and of the HLA-Aw33-B14 haplotype. This could suggest, in North Africa, either the existence of MHC-linked genes of resistance or susceptibility to NPC, in Berbers especially, or a preferential occurrence of NPC in non-Berbers. Antibody titers against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated early antigen (EA) and viral capsid antigen (VCA) have been measured. No correlation was observed between HLA phenotypes and the anti-EBV serological response of the patients.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000462:Algeria / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D010641:Phenotype; D014416:Tunisia / Q000208:ethnology
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens