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DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 genes in Turkish children with rheumatic fever

O. Hallioglu, L. Mesci, S. Ozer

Section of Pediatric Cardiology and Section of Pediatric Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.

ABSTRACT
Objectives
Several studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility to rheumatic fever (RF) may be linked to HLA Class II alleles. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between HLA Class II genes and RF in Turkish children.

Methods
DNA typing HLA Class II genes (DRB1, DQA1, DQB1) were performed in 55 children with RF and 50 healthy unrelated controls using sequence specific primers (SSP).

Results
The frequency of the HLA DQA1*03 (OR: 0.462, p < 0.05) allele was significantly decreased in the patient group. Also, the frequency of the combination of DRB1*04 and DQA1* 03 allele (OR: 0.42, p < 0.01) was more significantly decreased in the patient group. Differences in frequencies of the DRB1 and DQB1 alleles between groups were not significant.

Conclusions
Our data indicate that the HLA DQA1*03 allele may be a protecting factor in Turkish children with RF. Our results also suggest that the combination of the DRB1*04 and DQA1*03 alleles may be a stronger protective factor than the DQA1*03 allele alone.

Key words
Rheumatic fever, HLA antigens, Turkish race, genetics.

This study was supported by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) (Project number: SBAG-AYD-372).
Please address correspondence to: Olgu Hallioglu, MD, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Cardiology, 33079 Z. Bahce/Mersin, Turkey.
E-mail: ohallioglu@mersin.edu.tr