title: Associations between measles antibody levels and the protein structure of class II human leukocyte antigens.
abstract: In this study, we describe associations between variation in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DP and DQ amino acid sequences and low measles antibody levels after measles immunization. We tested serum samples from 242 children for measles immunoglobulin G antibodies. We performed class II HLA typing and examined associations between DQ and DP exon 2 amino acid sequences and antibody levels. No DP amino acid variants were associated with seronegativity. However, 11 DQA and 6 DQB amino acid variants were associated with seronegativity (p<0.005). These amino acid variants were highly correlated, and the significant DQA amino acids were only found in alleles *0201, *0301, *0401, *0501, and *0601. Two of the amino acids associated with measles seronegativity were located in predicted binding pockets of the DQ molecule; one was present in the leader sequence. Among the DQB alleles, all of the amino acid variants associated with seronegativity were present only in the DQB*0201 allele. Two of the amino acids associated with seronegativity were located in predicted binding pockets of the DQ molecule; two were located in the leader sequence. Our data suggest that specific DQA and DQB amino acid variations are associated with measles seronegativity after vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Mayo Vaccine Research Group, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. stsauver.jennifer@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: St  Sauver
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Schaid
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Vierkant
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Inna G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ovsyannikova
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Poland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006682:HLA-DP Antigens; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D008458:Measles Vaccine