HLA ANTIGENS IN MALAY PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Many studies have shown an association between human leucocyte antigen s (HLA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the various study po pulations. Although SLE is not an uncommon disease in the Malaysian Ar chipelago, and appears to affect all three major racial groups equally (i.e. Southern Chinese, Malays and Southern Indians), very little inf ormation is available on the HLA profiles in the two latter groups. In phase I of our study of the HLA profiles in Malaysian SLE patients, t he HLA phenotypes (class I: A, B, C; Class II: DR, DQ) of Malay patien ts with confirmed SLE and 91 normal Malay controls were determined usi ng the microcytotoxicity assay. The strong association between DR2 (RR 3.28, P = 0.008) concurs with that reported among Chinese and Japanes e populations. Moderate to strong associations with HLA-B 7 (RR 4.99, P = 0.02) and Cw 7 (RR 2.94, P = 0.003) were also found. We believe th is is the first report of the association of HLA and SLE in the Malay population.