HLA Class II Polymorphism in Saudi Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

This study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We found that several HLA‐DRB1 and DQB1 alleles were associated with MS. These alleles included HLA‐DRB1*15:01 (OR 3.01, 95% CI = 1.68‐5.54, p=0.0001), HLA‐DQB1*02:01 (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.20‐2.58, p=0.0022), HLA‐DQB1*06:02 (OR 3.52, 95% CI = 1.87‐6.86, P < 0.0001), and HLA‐DQB1*06:03 (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.16‐5.25, P = 0.01). Interestingly, HLA‐DRB1*15:01 was associated with increased risk of previous relapses. In addition, HLA‐DRB1*15:01 and HLA‐DQB1*06:02 were found to be associated with lower vitamin D levels. This study provides insights on the association of different HLA alleles with clinical characteristics and outcome of MS among Saudis. These insights can have future implications for the clinical management of MS based on the patient genetic profile.

Source: Tissue Antigens - November 1, 2017 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: M. Al Jumah, S. Kojan, A. M. Al Shehri, M. Al Balwi, I. Al Abdulkarim, E. M. Masuadi, Y. Alhaidan, A. Alabdulrahman, H. M. Fakhoury, A. H. Hajeer Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research