A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX AND RED-BLOOD-CELL ANTIGEN PHENOTYPES AS RISK-FACTORS FOR RECURRENT URINARY-TRACT INFECTIONS IN WOMEN

Recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTI) are a significant health pro blem for many women, and host characteristics that increase susceptibi lity are not completely defined, This study evaluated data from 99 pat ients to examine further the question of a possible association betwee n major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or red blood cell (RBC) antig en phenotype and predisposition to RUTIs. MHC class I and II, ABO, and Lewis RBC phenotypes were determined serologically. The MHC class II phenotypes of 55 subjects were also determined by DNA polymerase chain reaction techniques. There were no significant differences in the pro portions of HLA-A or -B antigen types between patients and controls, n or in the frequencies of serologically or DNA-defined HLA-DR or -DQ ph enotypes. Patient ABO and Lewis RBC phenotypes were not statistically different than those for controls. Thus, the overall risk for women to develop RUTIs does not appear to be associated with any single HLA, A BO, or Lewis phenotype.