Association of HLA-DQA1*0101/2 and DQB1*0502 with myasthenia gravis in southern Iranian patients.
BACKGROUND
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular junction characterized by skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability. Different genes may control the induction and clinical presentation of this disease. Various HLA alleles are reported as predisposing or protective genetic elements in myasthenia gravis.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the probable association between HLA-DQ alleles and myasthenia gravis in southern Iranian patients.


METHODS
HLA-DQA1 and DQB1 alleles were determined in 104 sporadic patients with myasthenia gravis using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism method and the results were compared to 816 healthy controls.


RESULTS
HLA-DQA1*0101/2 (39.4%) and DQB1*0502 (21.6%) were the most frequent alleles in southern Iranian patients with myasthenia gravis. These alleles revealed positive associations with the disease with relative risks of 1.69 and 2.41, respectively. The most common haplotype was DQA1*0101/2-DQB1*0502 in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
According to the results of this study, DQA1*0101/2 and DQB1*0502 alleles might be considered as predisposing genetic factors to myasthenia gravis while DQA1*0501, DQB1*0301 and *0602/3 show protective roles against this disease.
Yousefipour
Gholam-Ali
GA
Department of Neurology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Salami
Zahra
Z
Farjadian
Shirin
S
D017668:Age of Onset; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059848:HLA-DQ alpha-Chains; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069050:HLA-DQA1 antigen; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen