title: Increased HLA- A*11 in Chinese children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) associations have been frequently reported in childhood steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) in other populations. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunogenetic background of Singaporean Chinese patients with childhood SRNS. We determined the HLA class I (HLA- A* and HLA-B*) as well as class II (HLA- DRB1*, HLA- DQB1*) gene polymorphisms using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) technique, in patients with SRNS (n=64) and normal controls (n=236 for HLA- A*, n=80 for HLA- B*, HLA- DRB1* and HLA- DQB1*). The frequency of HLA- A*11 allele was significantly higher in the SRNS patients compared to controls (78.1% vs 54.2%, respectively; relative risk, RR=3.01, Pc=0.011). However, there was no significant difference in the allele frequencies of HLA- B*, HLA- DRB1* and HLA- DQB1* between the SRNS patients and controls, unlike that in previous studies. Our data suggest that the immunogenetic background of Singaporean Chinese with childhood SRNS was different from that in other populations. As HLA- A*11 has been strongly associated with other autoimmune diseases, it is conceivable that the HLA- A*11-specific motif may play a role in the development of the abnormal T-cell-mediated immune response that may be responsible for triggering the proteinuria seen in SRNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National University of Singapore, 10 Lower Kent Ridge Crescent, 119074, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Ee-Chee
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Soh-Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Wei-Kin
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Hui-Kim
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yap
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D059870:HLA-A11 Antigen; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D059870:HLA-A11 Antigen; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes