Class-I human leukocyte alleles in leprosy patients from Southern Brazil.
BACKGROUND
The present study was designed to investigate a possible role of HLA (histocompatibility leucocyte antigen) class-I alleles (HLA-A, -B, and -C) in leprosy patients from Southern Brazil.


METHODS
Two hundred and twenty-five patients with leprosy and 450 individuals for the control group were involved in this research. HLA genotyping was performed through PCR-SSO protocols (One Lambda, USA); the frequency of these alleles was calculated in each group by direct counting, and the frequencies were then compared.


RESULTS
There was an association between HLA-A*11 (6.9% vs 4.1%, p=0.0345, OR=1.72, 95% CI=1.05-2.81), HLA-B*38 (2.7% vs. 1.1%, p=0.0402, OR=2.44, 95% CI=1.05-5.69), HLA-C*12 (9.4% vs. 5.4%, p=0.01, OR=1.82, 95% CI=1.17-2.82), and HLA-C*16 (3.1% vs. 6.5%, p=0.0124, OR=0.47, 95% CI=0.26-0.85) and leprosy per se. In addition, HLA-B*35, HLA-C*04, and HLA-C*07 frequencies were different between lepromatous (LL) and tuberculoid (TT) patients. However, after adjusting for the number of alleles compared, Pc values became nonsignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
Although our results do not support the previous findings that HLA class-I alleles play a role in leprosy pathogenesis, we suggest new studies because of the importance of the association between the HLA and KIR in the innate immune response to leprosy.
Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil.
Danilo Santana Alessio
DS
Franceschi
Luiza Tamie
LT
Tsuneto
Priscila Saamara
PS
Mazini
William Sergio do
WS
Sacramento
Pâmela Guimarães
PG
Reis
Cristiane Conceição Chagas
CC
Rudnick
Samaia Laface
SL
Clementino
Ana Maria
AM
Sell
Jeane Eliete Laguila
JE
Visentainer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I