HLA-DR AND HLA-DQ ALLELES IN ITALIAN PATIENTS WITH MELANOMA

Controversial data have been reported about HLA alleles and susceptibi lity to melanoma. Our investigation was undertaken to analyze the rela tionship between HLA alleles distribution in patients with melanoma an d susceptibility to the tumor, in order to study the possible correlat ion between HLA class II DQA1, DQB1 and DRB1 genes involved in immune recognition, and melanoma, usually considered a highly immunogenic tum or. We therefore typed by means of PCR-SSP (sequence-specific primers) 53 Italian patients and 53 healthy random controls coming from the sa me geographic area We observed a decrease of all haplotypes bearing DQ B10301, DQB1*0302 and DQB1*0303 alleles but not of haplotype DRB1*11; DQA10501;DQB1*0301. Our results seem to support the hypo thesis of a protective role of some DQ3-bearing haplotypic combinations in melanom a.