HLA-B27 subtypes positively and negatively associated with spondyloarthropathy.
OBJECTIVE
Eleven subtypes of HLA-B27 have been identified. If some of these subtypes had a stronger association with spondyloarthropathy (SpA) than others, this might tell us which peptides are of pathogenetic importance. A subtype preponderance has not been proved in Caucasians or in Asian Indians. Our objective was to determine whether some subtypes are positively or negatively associated with SpA in Indonesia.


METHODS
Cells of 34 HLA-B27 positive patients with SpA (fulfilling the European Spondylarthropathy Study Group criteria) and 26 HLA-B27 positive controls, all living in Java, Indonesia, were sampled. Patients and controls were divided according to their presumed ethnic origin. HLA-B27 subtyping (B*2701-09) was performed by polymerase chain reaction in combination with sequence specific oligonucleotide probes to analyze polymorphism in exons 2 and 3 of HLA-B27.


RESULTS
HLA-B*2701, *2702, *2703, *2708, and *2709 were found in neither group. HLA-B*2704 was found in 23/34 (68%) of the patients and in only 4/26 (15%) of the controls (p < 0.01). HLA-B*2706 was found in none of the 34 patients, but in 21/26 (81%) of the controls (p < 0.01). One drawback of the study was that most patients were of Chinese descent and most controls were native Javanese. Nevertheless, the absence of SpA among HLA-B*2706 positive individuals is noteworthy.


CONCLUSIONS
HLA-B*2704 is positively associated with SpA (RR = 11.5), while *2706 is negatively associated with this disease (RR < 0.007). The results confirm the findings of Lopez-Larrea, et al in Thailand.
Nasution
A R
AR
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Mardjuadi
A
A
Kunmartini
S
S
Suryadhana
N G
NG
Setyohadi
B
B
Sudarsono
D
D
Lardy
N M
NM
Feltkamp
T E
TE
D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*
D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen