To evaluate the association of HLA types with Turkish patients with Gr
aves' disease, HLA typing, clinical findings, and thyroid antibodies w
ere correlated. The HLA types, clinical findings (ophthalmopathy and a
ge at onset), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TRAb) an
d antithyroid microsomal antibodies (MAb) were analyzed. Seventy Turki
sh patients with Graves' disease and 306 control subjects were assesse
d. Serological HLA typing was performed in HLA A, B, C, DR, and DQ loc
i. There was a significantly increased prevalence of HLA B8, B49, DR3,
DR4, and DR10 in Graves' disease. The association of Graves' disease
with HLA DR3 was found to be less strong than previously described. Th
e HLA DR4 antigen may contribute to the predisposition of Graves' dise
ase in Turkey. The results suggest that HLA B7, B13, DR7, DQw2, and DQ
w3 may confer a protective effect for Graves' disease in Turkey. Patie
nts carrying HLA B12, B18, and B44 haplotypes had a tendency to develo
p the disease at a later age. The difference from the other studies ma
y be the result of the selection of the controls; in part, of the vari
ability in serological typing reagents; and, also, of the rather weak
HLA associations with the disease.