Can the expression of histocompatibility antigen be changed by lithium?
OBJECTIVE
This study attempted to determine whether human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type changes would be caused by lithium.


METHODS
A total of 15 patients were chosen as subjects (4 males, 11 females) and completed tests in class I. Eight of the 15 patients completed tests in class II. Their mean age was 27 +/- 7 years. For an average of 51 +/- 17 days, lithium, 600-1,200 mg/day (mean daily dose: 920 +/- 211 mg) was administered for the HLA testing and then compared with the HLA type prior to the time the drug was administered. Class I type test was performed according to the Terasaki microcytotoxicity method and class II type by the Erlich polymerase chain reaction method.


RESULTS
Of the 15 subjects, 11 had changes in HLA-A, B, C types and two of the eight subjects had changes in HLA DR type.


CONCLUSIONS
Lithium, in the therapeutic dose, is considered to bring about changes in HLA expressions in as short a time period as 2 months.
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea. kuhpkbj@kyungpook.ac.kr
B J
BJ
Kang
S W
SW
Park
T H
TH
Chung
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000187:drug effects*; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
D018692:Antimanic Agents; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D018020:Lithium Compounds