title: Immunogenetics of episcleritis in leprosy.
abstract: Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) were analyzed among Japanese leprosy patients to identify any possible determinants in the development of episcleritis in leprosy patients. Seventy-nine Japanese leprosy patients (33 patients with history of episcleritis and 46 patients without episcleritis) and 114 healthy control subjects were investigated. Human leukocyte antigen-class I and class II specificities were determined serologically by the standard microcytotoxicity test. The HLA-DRB1, -DRB5, -DQA1, and -DQB1 genotypings were performed by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-single strand conformation polymorphism and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses. The frequency of HLA-Cw3 was significantly increased among the patients with episcleritis (66.7%) compared to patients without episcleritis (43.5%; odds ratio = 2.6, P < 0.05). The frequency of HLA-DR4 was significantly decreased among the patients with episcleritis (15.2%) compared to patients without episcleritis (39.1%; odds ratio = 0.28, P < 0.05) and the controls (46.5%; odds ratio = 0.21, P < 0.001). At the genomic level, frequencies of the HLA-DRB1*0405, -DQB1*0401, and -DQB1*0302 alleles were significantly decreased among the patients with episcleritis (0%, 0%, and 6.1%, respectively) compared to patients without episcleritis (15.2%, 13.0%, and 26.1%, respectively; odds ratio = 0.07, 0.09, and 0.18, P < 0.05). HLA-DRB1*0405 and -DQB1*0401 were also significantly decreased among the patients with episcleritis compared to the controls (29.8% and 29.8%; odds ratio = 0.04, P < 0.0001). Our results suggest that HLA-Cw3 antigen confers the susceptibility to the development of episcleritis among Japanese leprosy patients. Concurrently, the DRB1 (the -DBR1*0405), and/or DQB1 (the -DQB1*0401 and -DQB1*0302) alleles might provide protection against leprous episcleritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joko
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Numaga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059847:HLA-DRB5 Chains; D006801:Humans; D007125:Immunogenetics; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015423:Scleritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059847:HLA-DRB5 Chains; D004247:DNA