Analysis of HLA alleles polymorphism in Chinese patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
BACKGROUND
A familial clustering of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the presence of immunological abnormalities in family members suggest a genetic component involved in the pathogenesis of PBC. The aims of this study are to investigate the frequencies of human leukocyte antigen HLA-A, -B, and -DRB1 alleles in Chinese patients with PBC by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques, and to assess the correlation of the above-mentioned HLA with some clinical and laboratory features.


METHODS
Genotyping of HLA alleles were performed in 65 well-characterized PBC patients and 431 healthy controls with sequence-specific primers PCR amplification.


RESULTS
HLA-DRB1*07 allele detected in 19 of the 65 (29.2%) PBC patients was subtyped as DRB1*0701, as well as in 13.9% of controls (PC<0.05, OR=2.55, 95%CI: 1.4-4.6). An increased frequency of DRB1*03 (18.4% vs. 7.2% in healthy controls) and a decreased frequency of DRB1*12 (16.9% vs. 28.8%) in PBC patients were statistically significant. There was no association with HLA-DRB1*08 reported. The frequencies for HLA-A, B and the other DRB1 alleles were similar between patients and healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The susceptibility to PBC in Chinese individuals is associated with DRB1*0701 allele. This association differs from that in North Americans, South Americans, North Europeans and even Japanese, but it is not restricted to any particular subgroup of patients.
Liu
Hai-Ying
HY
Clinical Laboratory, General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA, Guangzhou 510010, China. xiangliuhaiying@21cn.com.
Deng
An-Mei
AM
Zhou
Ye
Y
Yao
Ding-Kang
DK
Xu
De-Xing
DX
Zhong
Ren-Qian
RQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D006680:HLA Antigens