title: Dengue HLA associations in Jamaicans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes might predispose certain individuals to dengue fever (DF) and the severe forms of the disease: dengue haemorrhagic fever/ dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A DNA-based HLA typing method was used to determine the HLA class I and II alleles in 50 patients with dengue, including 45 cases of DF 5 cases of DHF and 177 healthy individuals in Jamaica.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HLA-A*24 and - DRbeta5*01/02 were significantly associated with dengue infection while possession of HLA-A*23, -CW*04, -DQbeta*02, -DQbeta*03 and DQbeta*06 were protective. No other significant associations were found after correction for the number of alleles tested at each HLA-locus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to report a significant association with HLA-A*24 and DF although this allele is associated with DHF and DSS in Vietnamese patients. The other HLA associations observed in the Jamaican cohort also are different from those reported in other ethnic groups. Further studies which involve larger numbers of patients with DHF and explore functional aspects of HLA allelic associations with dengue in Jamaicans are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica. michelle.brown@uwimona.edu.jm
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Vickers
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Heslop
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Smikle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003715:Dengue / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007563:Jamaica; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens