HLA-DR TYPES IN RHEUMATIC, CONGENITAL AND DEGENERATIVE CARDIAC-VALVE DISEASES IN SAUDI PATIENTS

Subjects of Saudi origin were DNA typed for HLA-DR2, DR4 and DRw53 by amplification fragment-length polymorphism and amplification by sequen ce-specific primer techniques based on polymerase chain reaction. Of t hese subjects, 125 had sporadic heart valve disease (96 with rheumatic heart disease, 18 with degenerate and 11 with congenital degenerate v alve disease) and 77 were healthy Saudi blood donors. While the freque ncy of individuals typed DR4 was about the same in the rheumatic heart disease as in the control category (30% Versus 23%, respectively), it was found to be higher (55%; P<0.02), but below the level of marginal significance after correcting for the number of DR types, in the cong enital degenerate valve category. No preferential association of any D R4 subtype could be detected. The incidence of DR2 was lower in the co ngenital cases compared to that in the controls (9% versus 21%) and re mained about the same in the rheumatic heart disease patients as in th e controls. The frequency of DRw53 in the degenerate valve categories was slightly lower than that in the controls, but the difference was n ot significant. The study failed to corroborate the association betwee n HLA-DR4 and rheumatic heart disease shown in previous studies using the serotyping approach.