title: HLA class II alleles in patients with multiple sclerosis  in the Biscay province (Basque Country, Spain).
abstract: Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with genes of the major histocompatibility complex, particularly with the HLA DRB1*1501-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602 haplotype in Caucasians. To investigate the association of DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 alleles and haplotypes with MS in Biscay, Basque Country, northern Spain, we examined 197 patients and 200 regionally matched controls. High resolution HLA class II typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction followed by sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization. Several alleles were overrepresented in MS patients compared with those of controls: DRB1*0402, DRB1*1303, DRB1*1501, DQA1*0102, DQB1*0301, and DQB1*0602. DQB1*0602 was the only potentially predisposing allele for MS that withstood Bonferroni correction and maintained the association in a logistic regression model. On the other hand, several alleles showed lower frequencies in the MS group: DRB1*0101, DQA1*0101, DQB1*0303, and DQB1*0501, but only DRB1*0101 and DQB1*0303 maintained a negative association with the disease in the regression analysis. Three haplotypes were identified as potentially predisposing for MS in our population: DRB1*1501-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602, DRB1*0402-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302, and HLA-DRB1*013-DQA1*05-DQB1*0301. Additionally, three haplotypes associated with a lower risk for MS were identified, exhibiting DRB1*0101-DQA1*0101-DQB1*0501 the strongest negative association with MS [12% in controls vs. 3.8% in MS, Pc = 0.00047, OR = 0.290 (95% CI = 0.160–0.528)], and suggesting, therefore, a putative protective role for this haplotype in the population under study.
authors: Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya, Avda Carlos Haya s/n, 29010 Málaga, Spain.
authors: Oscar
authors: O
authors: Fernández
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: R-Antigüedad
authors: María Jesús
authors: MJ
authors: Pinto-Medel
authors: Mari Mar
authors: MM
authors: Mendibe
authors: Nestor
authors: N
authors: Acosta
authors: Begoña
authors: B
authors: Oliver
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Guerrero
authors: Marcos
authors: M
authors: Papais-Alvarenga
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Fernández-Sánchez
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Leyva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D013030:Spain / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006681:HLA-D Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II