HLA‐DP antigen and Takayasu arteritis

Abstract: Sixty‐four patients with Takayasu arteritis and 317 healthy individuals in the Japanese population were examined for HLA‐A, ‐B and ‐C alleles by serological typing and for HLA‐DRY DQ and DP alleles by DNA typing using PCR/SSOP analysis. The frequencies of HLA‐Bw52, DRB1*1502, DRB5*0102, DQA1*0103. DQB1*0601 and DPB 1*0901 alleles were significantly increased and the frequencies of HLA‐Bw54, DRB1*0405, DRB4*0101, DQA1*0301, DQB1*0401 alleles were significantly decreased. Strong linkage disequilibria among the increased alleles and among the decreased alleles were evident in the Japanese population. Therefore, the combination or haplotype of HLA‐Bw52‐DRB1 *1502‐DRB5*0102‐DQA 1*0103‐DQB 1*0601‐DPA 1*02‐DPB 1*0901 may confer susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis while another combination or haplotype of HLA‐Bw54‐DRB1*0405‐DRB4*0101‐DQA1*0301‐DQB1 *0401 may confer resistance to the disease. Because this is the first evidence for the association between an HLA‐DP allele and Takayasu arteritis, we examined the nucleotide sequences of the DPB 1*0901 allele from a patient and her healthy relatives and found no difference. The disease is therefore not caused by a mutated DPB1 gene. 1992 Blackwell Munksgaard