DNA TYPING OF HLA CLASS-II GENES - DRB1(ASTERISK)0803 INCREASES THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF JAPANESE TO PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS

The association between human leukocyte antigens and primary biliary c irrhosis is controversial, but major histocompatibility complex class II antigen DR8 was recently reported to be associated with increased s usceptibility for primary biliary cirrhosis in some Caucasians and Jap anese. Accordingly, we performed DNA typing of HLA class II genes in J apanese patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. The genotypes of HLA DRB1, DRB3-5, DQA and DQB were determined by polymerase chain reaction and subsequent hybridization with sequence specific oligoncleotides i n 31 primary biliary cirrhosis patients and 215 racially matched local controls. DR8 was found in 24 of the 31 primary biliary cirrhosis pat ients and was highly concentrated in DRB10803. The gene frequency of DRB10803 was significantly increased in the patients (35.5% vs 7.4%, relative risk=6.84, p<0.0001). DQA10103 and DQB1*0601 were also incre ased in the primary biliary cirrhosis patients, in relation to linkage disequilibrium with DRB10803 on the same haplotype. In contrast, DQA 10102 showed a significantly lower frequency in the primary biliary c irrhosis patients (p<0.05). These data suggest that DRB1 0803 is one of the HLA class II genes related to an increased risk of primary bili ary cirrhosis in Japanese individuals. (C) Journal of Hepatology.