title: Protective role of the HLA-A*02 allele in Portuguese patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) HLA-DRB1*15. Recent evidence that CD8 T cells are implicated in MS suggests that HLA class I may also contribute. An association of HLA-A*02 and A*03 alleles has been described.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the influence of HLA-A*02 and HLA-A*03 in Portuguese patients with MS, independently of HLA-DRB1*15 using a logistic regression model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DRB1*15 increased the risk of developing MS and HLA-A*02 decreased the risk. A*03 had no effect. To analyze if HLA-A*02 association was independent from DRB1*15, an interaction between these two alleles was introduced in the model; no significant interaction was found.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia, Centro Hospitalar do Porto-Hospital de Santo António, Porto, Portugal. anadmsilva@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bettencourt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C524866:HLA-A*02 antigen; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; C507799:HLA-DRB1*15 antigen