O. Kalm et al., HLA FREQUENCY IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SECRETORY OTITIS-MEDIA, International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 30(2), 1994, pp. 151-157
It is well established that relationships exist between the frequencie
s of certain HLA antigens and various disease entities. In an earlier
study we found a significant correlation between the frequency of HLA-
A2 and HLA-A3 and recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM). Of 34 HLA antig
ens analysed, HLA-A2 occurred in 80.0% and HLA-A3 in only 11.1% of chi
ldren with rAOM as compared to 55.9% and 27.5%, respectively, in healt
hy controls [7]. In the present study we investigated the frequencies
of the same 34 HLA antigens in 40 children who had been regularly cont
rolled at our clinic for chronic secretory otitis media (SOM) for at l
east 6 years. HLA-A2 was found in 52.0% (21/40) and HLA-A3 in 27.5% (1
1/40) of these children, figures on a par with those of healthy contro
ls. The HLA-A2 frequency was significantly lower in chronic SOM patien
ts than in rAOM children. Some other non-significant differences were
also found between these two groups. The results indicate a difference
in hereditary influence on the pathogenesis of rAOM and that of chron
ic SOM.