HLA haplotypes are associated with differential susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection

We explored a possible role of HLA class II genes in determining the suscep tibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection as well as in the development of ch agasic heart disease in a rural mestizo population from Arequipa (Southern Peru), HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 polymorphisms were determined in 85 seropositive ( asymptomatic, n=52; cardiomyopathic, n=33) and 87 seronegative individuals, We observed that the DRB1*14-DQB1*0301 haplotype correlates with not havin g T. cruzi infection in a highly endemic area (OR = 0.26 (0.12-0.63); P-c = 0.01). This protective association is a dominant trait. We found no differ ences in the allelic or haplotypic distributions we examined between asympt omatic and cardiomyopathic patients in this population. Our data offer indi rect but compelling evidence that polymorphism in HLA region is involved in a differential susceptibility to T cruzi chronic infection.