Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- Maja Stojanovic 1
- Zorana Andric 2
- Dusan Popadic 3
- Marija Stankovic Stanojevic 4
- Rada Miskovic 1
- Dragana Jovanovic 5
- Aleksandra Peric Popadic 1
- Jasna Bolpacic 1
- Vesna Tomic-Spiric 1
- Sanvila Raskovic 1
1 Clinic of Allergy and Immunology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
2 Tissue Typing Department, Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.
3 Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
4 Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
5 Clinic of Allergy and Immunology Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia.
Abstract
Background: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a systemic vasculitis, affecting mainly the aorta and its branches. Objective: To analyze the HLA class I and class II alleles in patients with TA and explore their relationship with clinical and demographic characteristics, and potential significance in prognosis. Methods: Twenty-five, unrelated TA patients were genotyped for HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, and the HLA-DQB1 loci. The frequencies of the HLA-A, HLA-B, and the HLA-DRB1 were compared with a control group of 1992, while the HLA-C and the HLA-DQB1 were compared with a group of 159 healthy, unrelated individuals. Results: Among TA patients, 5/25 (20%) were identified as the HLA-B*52 carriers. There was a significant difference in the HLA-B*52 allele frequency in the TA patients (10%) compared with the healthy controls (1.2%). Moreover, presence of the HLA-B*52 was associated with significantly earlier disease onset, more severe clinical presentations, and a poorer response to treatment. The HLA-C*03 was detected in 32% of patients and was present exclusively in those with a clinically mild form of the TA, indicating a putative protective effect. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the HLA-B*52 allele contributes to a higher susceptibility to the TA whereas the HLA-C*03, can be a protective factor in the TA.
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