title: HLA class II antigens DR4 and DQ8 are associated with allergy to hevein, a major allergen of Hevea latex.
abstract: In this study we investigated the relationship between HLA class II alleles and the IgE-specific immune response to the 4.7 kDa polypeptide hevein of Hevea brasiliensis, a major latex allergen, 51 individuals with immediate-type latex allergy and 90 controls were examined for the polymorphisms in exon 2 of HLA-DRB1, 3, 4, 5 and DQB1 by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe typing. 35 (69%) out of 51 latex-sensitized subjects showed positive hevein-specific IgE values. Analysis of the HLA data among these 35 subjects revealed increased phenotype frequencies for DR4 (22/35, 63%) and DQ8 (18/35, 51%) when compared with those in the 16 hevein-negative but latex-positive subjects (DR4: 2/16, 13%, p = 0.0009, Pc = 0.047; DQ8: 0/16, p = 0.0003, pc = 0.018) and with healthy controls (DR4: 22/90, 24%, p = 0.00012, pc = 0.013; DQ8: 16/89, 18%, p = 0.0003, pc = 0.036). Finally the DR4-DQ8 haplotype frequency was significantly elevated in hevein-positives when compared with hevein-negatives (51% vs. 0, p = 0.0003, pc = 0.034) or controls (51% vs. 18%, p = 0.0002, pc = 0.045) The present data suggest DR4 and DQ8 to be operating jointly as susceptibility factor for the allergy to hevein.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Occupational Medicine (BGFA), Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Rihs
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cremer
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Baur
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D005260:Female; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen; D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C045875:hevein