DISTRIBUTION OF HLA CLASS-II ALLELES AMONG SPANISH PATIENTS WITH PEMPHIGUS-VULGARIS

Twenty-six unrelated Spanish Caucasian individuals affected by pemphig us vulgaris (PV) were HLA typed and frequencies compared with those of 200 ethnically matched healthy controls. Twenty-three out of 26 patie nts were HLA-DR4. The frequency of HLA-DR14 was also increased (31%; c ontrols: 4%). Of the 23 patients positive for HLA-DR4, 21 carried the DRB10402 allele. Therefore, the frequency of HLA-DRB1*0402 among pati ents was 81% (4% in controls; P=4.7x10(-27), OR=100.8). Interestingly, HLA-DR13, a frequent HLA-DR specificity in the Spanish general popula tion (27%), was absent among the PV patients (P=0.009; P-c=0.1; OR=0.0 5). Taking together these data, we can conclude that, in the Spanish p opulation, PV is preferentially and strongly associated with HLA-DRB1 0402 whereas DRB113 seems to confer a protective effect in our popula tion.