title: Association of leprosy with HLA-DRB1 in an Argentinean population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have suggested an influence of HLA molecules on the regulation of the anti Mycobacterium leprae immune response.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA typing of HLA-DRB1 alleles in 71 leprosy patients and 81 healthy controls was performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and used as a template to amplify the polymorphic second exon of the HLA-DRB1 by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products were hybridized separately with sequence-specific oligonucleotides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DRB1*1401 and DRB1*1406 alleles were significantly more prevalent in leprosy patients, whereas a decreased frequency of DRB1*0808 and DRB1*1103 alleles was found, by comparison with the group control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HLA-DRB1 alleles could act alone or in combination with other genes to confer differential susceptibility and also protection to leprosy disease in endemic areas of the American continent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunohematología e Inmunogenética, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvia García
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Borrás
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cotorruelo
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Racca
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Recarte
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcías
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bottasso
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Racca
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains