title: HLA-DR and HLA-DQ are not markers for rapid disease progression in primary sclerosing cholangitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and the HLA haplotype A1, B8, DR3, DQ2 is well established. During the last few years, several additional HLA associations have been suggested in PSC. Furthermore, two different HLA-DR specificities have been reported to be markers for rapid disease progression. Our aim was to critically evaluate all of the current and as yet mostly unconfirmed HLA class II issues in PSC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five Swedish patients with PSC were HLA-DR and HLA-DQ genotyped.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the recently described HLA associations in PSC, the association with the DRB1*1301, DQA1*0103, DQB1*0603 haplotype was decisively confirmed, whereas the DRB1*04 specificity was only slightly under-represented and the frequency of DR2 was neutral. The association with codon 38 of DRB genes was secondary to the DRB3*0101 association. HLA-DR and HLA-DQ alleles were not found to be markers of disease progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HLA-associated genetic susceptibility to PSC cannot be attributed to specific amino acid positions of the DR beta chains. The highly discrepant results obtained in two previously reported studies and the present investigation indicate that HLA class II alleles are not markers for a more aggressive clinical course in PSC.
authors.affiliation: Center for BioTechnology, Karolinska Institute, NOVUM, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Olerup
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hultcrantz
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Broome
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D015415:Biomarkers; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003062:Codon; D005796:Genes; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003062:Codon; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens