title: HLA antigens in an Omani population with dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: We have investigated the frequency of HLA antigens in 50 Omanis with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy to establish whether there are ethnic/racial differences in the reported HLA associations with this disease. There were no statistically significant HLA-A, B, C, DR or DQ antigen frequency differences between the patients and 247 healthy Omanis. THe reported association of HLA-DR4 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in the Caucasian population does not apply to the Omanis. This confirms the heterogeneity of this disease and points to ethnic/racial origins as important factors when examining the HLA association. This is particularly pertinent as HLD-DR4 has been strongly linked to autoantibody formation in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in Caucasians. The lack of any HLA antigen association in Omanis would argue against the proposed HLA-linked autoimmune pathology of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Leheny
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Daar
mesh_terms: D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens