Research article
Takayasu's arteritis is associated with HLA-B*52, but not with HLA-B*51, in Turkey
Author affiliations
1 Department of Physiology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Capa 34093, Istanbul, Turkey
2 Department of Rheumatology, Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Cad No:102/104, Kozyatagı 34752, Istanbul, Turkey
3 Department of Rheumatology, Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara Asfalti Uzeri, Bornova 35100, Izmir, Turkey
4 Department of Rheumatology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Capa 34093, Istanbul, Turkey
5 Department of Rheumatology, Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul Universitesi Saglık Yerleskesi, Inciraltı 35340, Izmir, Turkey
6 Department of Rheumatology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey
7 Department of Rheumatology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Talatpasa Bulvarı, No:5, Altındag 06100, Ankara, Turkey
8 Department of Rheumatology, Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Balcalı, Sarıcam 01330, Adana, Turkey
9 Department of Rheumatology, Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Kocamustafapaşa Cad. No: 124, Cerrahpaşa 34098, Istanbul, Turkey
10 Department of Rheumatology, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Besevler 06500, Ankara, Turkey
11 Department of Rheumatology, Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Eski İstanbul Yolu, Umuttepe Yerleşkesi 41380, Kocaeli, Turkey
12 Department of Rheumatology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Üniversite Caddesi Kınıklı Kampüsü 20020, Denizli, Turkey
13 Department of Rheumatology, Gaziantep University, Faculty of Medicine, Sahinbey Araştırma Hastanesi 27310, Gaziantep, Turkey
14 Department of Rheumatology, Suleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Medicine, Doğu Kampüsü Morfoloji Binası Kat:2 32260, Isparta, Turkey
15 Department of Rheumatology, Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Morfoloji Yerleşkesi, Sıhhıye 06100, Ankara, Turkey
16 Department of Rheumatology, Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Mimar Sinan Caddesi, No: 41, Pendik 34890, Istanbul, Turkey
Citation and License
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012, 14:R27 doi:10.1186/ar3730
Published: 6 February 2012Abstract
Introduction
HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 are two close human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele groups with minor amino acid differences. However, they are associated with two different vasculitides (HLA-B*51 in Behçet's disease and HLA-B*52 in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK)) and with major clinical and immunological differences. In this study, we aimed to screen a large cohort of TAK patients from Turkey for the presence of HLA-B*51 and HLA-B*52 as susceptibility and severity factors.
Methods
TAK patients (n = 330) followed at a total of 15 centers were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 37.8 years, and 86% were women. DNA samples from the patients and healthy controls (HC; n = 210) were isolated, and the presence of HLA-B*51 or HLA-B*52 was screened for by using PCR with sequence-specific primers.
Results
We found a significant association of HLA-B*52 with TAK (20.9% vs HC = 6.7%, P = 0.000, OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 2.02 to 6.77). The distribution of HLA-B*51 did not differ between TAK patients and HCs (22.7% vs 24.8%, OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.60 to 1.34). The presence of HLA-B*52 decreased in late-onset patients (> 40 years of age; 12.0%, P = 0.024, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.91). Patients with angiographic type I disease with limited aortic involvement also had a lower presence of HLA-B*52 compared to those with all other disease subtypes (13.1% vs 26%, P = 0.005, OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.78).
Conclusions
In this study, the previously reported association of TAK with HLA-B*52 in other populations was confirmed in patients from Turkey. The functional relevance of HLA-B*52 in TAK pathogenesis needs to be explored further.
