title: DQB1*0602 confers genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Afro-Brazilians.
abstract: We studied the distribution of the HLA-DRB1, -DQA1 and -DQB1 alleles in 44 Afro-Brazilian patients with multiple sclerosis and 88 controls. Although no significant differences were found between the patients and controls for the DRB1 and DQA1 alleles, the HLA-DQB1*0602 allele was positively associated with multiple sclerosis (45.0% vs. 17.0%, Pc=0.024, RR=3.31). The positive extended haplotypes for DQB1*0602 were more frequent in patients than controls, although the differences were not statistically significant in any of them. These results in Afro-Brazilians are in line with other studies which have found DQB1*0602 to be associated with the disease in the absence of the DRB1*1501 allele. We therefore think that the association with the disease in this ethnic group is more allelic than haplotypic.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Service, Carlos Haya Regional University Hospital, Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alvés-León
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papais-Alvarenga
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000208:ethnology / 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