title: Evidence for association between the HLA-DQA locus and abdominal aortic aneurysms in the Belgian population: a case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic inflammation and autoimmunity likely contribute to the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of autoimmunity in the etiology of AAAs using a genetic association study approach with HLA polymorphisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  HLA-DQA1, -DQB1, -DRB1 and -DRB3-5 alleles were determined in 387 AAA cases (180 Belgian and 207 Canadian) and 426 controls (269 Belgian and 157 Canadian) by a PCR and single-strand oligonucleotide probe hybridization assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a potential association with the HLA-DQA1 locus among Belgian males (empirical p = 0.027, asymptotic p = 0.071). Specifically, there was a significant difference in the HLA-DQA1*0102 allele frequencies between AAA cases (67/322 alleles, 20.8%) and controls (44/356 alleles, 12.4%) in Belgian males (empirical p = 0.019, asymptotic p = 0.003). In haplotype analyses, marginally significant association was found between AAA and haplotype HLA-DQA1-DRB1 (p = 0.049 with global score statistics and p = 0.002 with haplotype-specific score statistics).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed potential evidence that the HLA-DQA1 locus harbors a genetic risk factor for AAAs suggesting that autoimmunity plays a role in the pathogenesis of AAAs.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA. ogatat@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gregoire
authors.forename: Katrina A B
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Goddard
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skunca
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tromp
authors.forename: Wayne D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.forename: Antonio R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Parrado
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibamura
authors.forename: Natzi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakalihasan
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Limet
authors.forename: Gerald L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: MacKean
authors.forename: Claudette
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: Taijiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sueda
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuivaniemi
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000235:genetics*; D001530:Belgium; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens