title: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1*14 is associated with a high incidence of acute lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genetic background and environmental factors play an interactive role in the development of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system was noted as an important genetic factor in ALL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Due to the high diversity of HLA alleles, our present study assessed the possibility of an association of HLA molecules in ALL patients living in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. HLAA, -B, and -DRB1 allele distributions in 156 ALL patients (aged 3-54 years) were analyzed and compared with unrelated healthy hematopoietic stem cell donors from the same ethnic and geographic background.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significance was found at HLA-A, -B loci between the ALL group and the control group. However, a significant difference was discovered at HLA-DRB1*14 (8.65% in the ALL group versus 4.8% in the control group, pC < 0.05), with an odds ratio of 1.87 (95% confidence interval 1.26- 2.80).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HLA-DRB1*14 may be associated with susceptibility to ALL acquisition among the Jiangsu Han population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital Affiliated with Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hairong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jianhe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.forename: Jianyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kourong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains