title: HLa-class II (DRB & DQB1) in Thai sudden unexplained death syndrome (Thai SUDS) families (Lai-Tai families).
abstract: Thai Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome (Thai SUDS), or Lai-Tai, is a major health problem among rural residents of northeastern Thailand. The cause has been identified as a genetic disease. SUDS, a disorder found in Southeast Asia, is characterized by an abnormal electrocardiogram with ST-segment elevation in leads V1-V3, identical to that seen in Brugada Syndrome (Brugada Sign, BS) and sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest (represents an arrhythmogenic marker that identifies high-risk for SUDS). SUDS victims have a sleeping disorder (narcolepsy). The HLA-DR locus is tightly associated with narcoleptic Japanese patients and HLA-DR2, DQ haplotypes were also found in Oriental narcoleptic patients. These circumstances prompted us to study the association between the disease and HLA Class II by HLA DNA typing using a PCR-SSO method, with five Thai SUDS families (18 BS-positive subjects as the cases, and 27 BS-negatives as the controls). We found that the HLA-DRB1 *12021 allele was significantly increased in BS-positive subjects (p = 0.02; OR = 4.5), the same as the HLA-DRB1*12021-DQB1 *0301/09 haplotype (p = 0.01; OR = 7.95). Our data suggests that the HLA-DRB1* 12021 allele associated with BS and the HLA-DRB1*12021-DQB1 *0301/09 is a haplotype susceptible to arrhythmogenic markers that can identify a high risk for SUDS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Department of Medical Services, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pensiri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Himmunngan
authors.forename: Somkiat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sangwatanaroj
authors.forename: Songsak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petmitr
authors.forename: Duangkamol
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Viroonudomphol
authors.forename: Pakorn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siriyong
authors.forename: Pimpicha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patmasiriwat
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens