Increased frequency of the HLA-DR15 (B1*15011) allele in German patients with self-limited hepatitis C virus infection.
BACKGROUND
A genetically determined resistance or susceptibility to chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) may make an important contribution to the course of liver disease and may be linked to the human major histocompatibility complex.


METHODS
Twenty-one subjects with self-limited HCV infection as assessed by the presence of HCV antibodies, absence of HCV-RNA and normal levels of aminotransferases for 2 years were identified from a large pool of blood donors. The frequency of HLA serotypes of these individuals was compared with 49 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C.


RESULTS
We detected a significantly higher prevalence of HLA-DR15 in patients with self-limited HCV infection than in patients with chronic hepatitis C (10/21 vs. 6/49; relative risk 6.5; P = 0.02; corrected for multiple comparisons). To confirm HLA assignments by serotyping we also performed sequencing of HLA-DR types in the 27 patients (9 with self-limited infection, 18 with chronic hepatitis C) who had been enrolled during 1995-96. This analysis confirmed the predominance of HLA-DR15 (HLA-DRB1*15011) in self-limited HCV infection (4/9 vs. 1/18; relative risk 13.6; P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that HLA-DR15 (B1*15011) might constitute an important genetic factor for the elimination of the hepatitis C virus in Germany.
Lechmann
M
M
Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Schneider
E M
EM
Giers
G
G
Kaiser
R
R
Dumoulin
F L
FL
Sauerbruch
T
T
Spengler
U
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C106559:HLA-DR15 antigen; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D012367:RNA, Viral