PROFILING OF HUMAN-LEUKOCYTE ANTIGENS IN EALES-DISEASE

Eales' disease is a primary retinal perivasculitis of an undetermined etiology seen predominantly in the Indian sub continent and rarely in the West. Strong HLA association has been proven in retinal vasculitis of Behcet's disease. HLA association of Eales' disease is unknown and therefore the present study was undertaken to determine the same. The frequency of 30 HLA antigens (9 HLA-A antigens, 10 HLA-B antigens, 3 HLA-C antigens, 7 HLA-DR antigens and 1 HLA-DQ antigen) was studied by standard micro-lymphocytotoxicity test in 57 patients with Eales' dis ease and 50 age and sex-matched normal persons as controls. Both the p atients and controls underwent complete ocular and clinical examinatio ns and laboratory investigations. Inflammatory diseases similar to Eal es' disease were ruled out in the patients before they were enrolled. Statistically significant higher phenotype frequencies of HLA B5 (B51) , DR1 and DR4 were observed among patients with Eales' disease as comp ared to controls. The gene frequency of HLA B5 (B51) in our group of p atients and controls was comparable with other earlier studies in the Indian population. The finding of significant association of Eales' pa tients with positive disequilibrium () haplotypes A3-B44 and A11-B12 m ay be related to the development of this disease. The presence of the above HLA antigens may be indicative of predisposition to Eales' disea se.