title: Racial differences in HLA class II associations with hepatitis C virus outcomes.
abstract: A broad, vigorous CD4 T cell response, mediated by class II human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), favors hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance. HLA-DQB1*0301 has been associated with viral clearance in an ethnically homogeneous cohort. To validate this association and to identify other class II associations in an ethnically varied cohort, molecular class II HLA typing was performed on 200 HCV clearance and 374 matched persistently infected subjects. HLA-DQB1*0301 was weakly associated with viral clearance in combined ethnic groups (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.97) but was stronger in black subjects. In white subjects, viral clearance was associated with DRB1*0101 (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17-0.60) and its DQB1*0501 haplotype, whereas viral persistence was associated with DRB1*0301 (OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.23-4.52) and its DQB1*0201 haplotype. These results support a role for class II alleles in the immune response to HCV and underscore the importance of studying genetic associations in an ethnically diverse cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21231-1001, USA. cthio@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thio
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Goedert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Hilgartner
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karacki
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Astemborski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrington
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C553502:HLA-DRB1*03:01 antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II