ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN HLA-DRB1 ALLELES AND LEPROSY IN AN INDONESIAN POPULATION

To investigate whether the susceptibility to leprosy (type), subclinic al infection with Mycobacterium leprae and the antibody response again st M. leprae-specific antigens are associated with HLA-DR phenotypes s equence-specific oligonucleotide HLA-DRB1 and DQA1 typing and antibody assays have been performed in 79 leprosy patients (41 TT/BT and 38 LL /BL) and 50 healthy controls from a Javanese population in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. DRB102 was associated with LL/BL [odds ratio (OR) 2.54, 9 5% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-9.78, p = 0.037 and attributable risk (AR) 41.5%] but not with TT/BT leprosy (p > 0.05). HLA-DRB112 was ne gatively associated with leprosy (either LL/BL or TT/BT [OR 0.33-0.35, p < 0.05, prevented fraction (PF) 58.8%-65.3%], No significant associ ation was found between HLA-DRB1 or DQA1 type, anti-M. leprae antibody level and subclinical infection with M. leprae. These data indicate t hat in this population susceptibility to lepromatous leprosy is associ ated with HLA-DRB102, while resistance to leprosy is associated with HLA-DRB 112, These associations are not paralleled with associations of the same HLA types with anti-M. Leprae antibody level. Finally, the results of this study also support the notion that infection with M. leprae per se is not associated with HLA-DRB1 or DQA1 alleles.