title: Association of human leukocyte antigen with postherpetic neuralgia in Koreans.
abstract: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the most frequent complication of varicella-zoster virus reactivation, is characterized by pain that persists for more than 3 months, often for years after healing of zoster rash. A few studies revealing the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) with PHN have been reported, but only in the Japanese. The aim of this study was to investigate the primary HLA locus associated with PHN susceptibility in Koreans. We compared HLA-A, -B, -C, and DRB1 genotypes of 66 PHN patients with those of 54 herpes zoster (HZ) patients without developing PHN and 235 healthy controls. Frequencies of HLA-B*13, B*44, B*15 (B75), DRB1*10:01, and DRB1*12:02 were increased, and those of HLA-C*01, C*12, and DRB1*01:01 were decreased in PHN patients compared to those in controls (each, p < 0.05). Among these alleles, only the frequency of HLA-B*44 was significantly increased in PHN patients compared to that in HZ patients and the change was due to HLA-B*44:03 (PHN vs controls, p = 0.043; PHN vs HZ, p = 0.012). The results suggest that HLA-B*44:03 or other closely linked gene of the major histocompatibility complex is associated with susceptibility to the development of PHN after HZ, but not with the onset of HZ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Yoon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Ah
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. parkmhee@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Myoung Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000235:genetics*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens
keywords: Postherpetic neuralgia; herpes zoster; human leukocyte antigen