title: HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 reduce the risk of Behcet's disease.
abstract: The nonclassical human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E and -G molecules have previously been shown to inhibit natural killer- and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated cell lysis and have also been shown to prevent the proliferation of CD4 T cells and secrete cytokines that appear to be important in the modulation of the Behcet's disease (BD) immune systems. Polymorphisms in the HLA-E and HLA-G genes have been associated with differential expression and function. Thus, we conducted an analysis of the HLA-E and HLA-G alleles using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques in a study comprising 312 patients with BD and 486 controls. The HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 alleles were associated with a reduced risk of BD (P = 0.0002, odds ratio (OR) = 0.7 and P = 0.002, OR = 0.7, respectively). By way of contrast, the variants HLA-E*010302, HLA-G*010102, G*0105N alleles and 3741_3754ins14bp were all associated with an increased risk of BD (P < 0.0001, OR = 1.6; P = 0.002, OR = 1.8; P = 0.024, OR = 2.0 and P = 0.003, OR = 1.4, respectively). Individuals carrying both the HLA-E*0101 and the HLA-G*010101 alleles evidenced significantly lower frequency in the patients than in the controls (35.6% vs 49.6%; P < 0.0001, OR = 0.6). These results indicate that variant HLA-E and HLA-G molecules appear to function independently and synergistically, increasing the risk of BD, and may result in an imbalance of lymphocytic functions, which may culminate in the development of BD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, South Korea. kspark@sungshin.ac.kr
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012306:Risk; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens; C519584:HLA-G*01:01:01 antigen