title: Studies on the human leukocyte antigen-DR in patients with endometriosis: genotyping of HLA-DRB1 alleles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing number of reports suggest that endometriosis is associated with abnormal immune function involving changes in both cell-mediated and humoral immunity, although the aetiology of the disease remains undefined. The human leukocyte antigen system (HLA) is known to play a role in the aetiology of a number of diseases. This study examines the possible association between the HLA-DR and endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three patients diagnosed with endometriosis by laparoscopic examination were typed for HLA-DR antigens using a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The frequency of HLA-DR genotypes in this patient population was compared with that in a population of general controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of HLA-DRB1*1403 in the patient group was 6.0% (10/166 alleles) compared with 1.4% in the control group (6/444 alleles), and the incidence of the HLA-DRB1*1403 allele was significantly greater in patients with endometriosis compared with the control population [odds ratio 4.68, 95% confidence interval 1.67-13.09, P = 0.0013 (chi(2) analysis), (corrected P values: Pc = 0.0494)]. No significant difference was found between the two groups with regards to the frequency of the other HLA-DR alleles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study may be helpful to implicate a role of HLA-DR antigens in the development of endometriosis, although further investigation is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Niigata University School of Medicine, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata 951-8510, Japan. keisui28@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takakuwa
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains