HLA-B*39 allele confers susceptibility to osteoarticular complications in human brucellosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the contribution of HLA gene polymorphism toward susceptibility to osteoarticular focal forms of human brucellosis.


METHODS
A total of 57 patients with brucellosis, of whom 23 had osteoarticular complications, and 73 healthy volunteers were genotyped for HLA class I and class II antigens by a polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer technique.


RESULTS
The HLA-B*39 allele was present in significantly more patients with osteoarticular complications than in the other patients (35% vs 3%; p = 0.0006, OR 15.684, 95% CI 3.453-71.231), or in the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased presence of the HLA-B39 genotype in patients with brucellosis with clinical osteoarticular manifestations suggests that this genotype confers susceptibility to developing severe osteoarticular focal forms of the disease.
Immunology Service and the Internal Medicine Service, Carlos-Haya Hospital, Malaga, Spain.
Maria José
MJ
Bravo
Juan de Dios
Jde D
Colmenero
Antonio
A
Alonso
Abelardo
A
Caballero
D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059946:HLA-B39 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology*
D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D059946:HLA-B39 Antigen