HLA-B38 AND CLOZAPINE-INDUCED AGRANULOCYTOSIS IN ISRAELI JEWISH SCHIZOPHRENIC-PATIENTS

To further substantiate reports of an association between the major hi stocompatibility complex subtypes and clozapine-induced agranulocytosi s, HLA typing was performed in 61 Jewish Israeli schizophrenic patient s, in 11 of whom agranulocytosis developed following clozapine treatme nt and in 50 (controls) of whom it did not. Of the 11 agranulocytosis patients, seven (63%) were of Ashkenazi origin and four (37%) of Sepha rdi origin. There was no difference in ethnic origin between the agran ulocytosis and non-agranulocytosis groups (chi(2) = 2.4, d.f. = 1, P = 0.11), although the agranulocytosis patients had a higher frequency o f the HLA B38 antigen (8/11 or 72% vs. 6/50 or 12%; chi(2) = 18.7, d.f . = 1, P < 0.001). These results suggest that major histocompatibility complex gene products could be involved in clozapine-mediated haemato logical complications.