title: HLA-DR and -DQ alleles in Italian patients with melanoma.
abstract: Controversial data have been reported about HLA alleles and susceptibility to melanoma. Our investigation was undertaken to analyze the relationship between HLA alleles distribution in patients with melanoma and susceptibility to the tumor, in order to study the possible correlation between HLA class II DQA1, DQB1 and DRB1 genes involved in immune recognition, and melanoma, usually considered a highly immunogenic tumor. We therefore typed by means of PCR-SSP (sequence-specific primers) 53 Italian patients and 53 healthy random controls coming from the same geographic area. We observed a decrease of all haplotypes bearing DQB1*0301, DQB1*0302 and DQB1*0303 alleles but not of haplotype DRB1*11;DQA1*0501;DQB1*0301. Our results seem to support the hypothesis of a protective role of some DQ3-bearing haplotypic combinations in melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Patologia, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lulli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grammatico
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brioli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catricalà
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morellini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roccella
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennesi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roccella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cappellacci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trabace
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens