Association of HLA-DRB1*1602 and DRB1*1001 with Takayasu arteritis in Colombian mestizos as markers of Amerindian ancestry

We performed HLA Class I and Class II typing in 16 patients (15 women, one man) with a confirmed diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis. We did not find any of the previously described associations with HLA-B52, and/or HLA-DRB1*1301 alleles. However, in our patients, HLA-DRB1*1602 and HLA-DRB1*1001 were si gnificantly increased. The association of Takayasu arteritis with Amerindia n and Asian HLA-DRB1 alleles (DRB1*1602 and DRB1*1001) in the Colombian mes tizo patients reported here, and with HLA-B*3906 previously reported in Mex icans, suggest the possibility that some HLA and disease associations are m arkers for ethnicity of a population carrying a disease gene which is prese nt in an admired population with the disease. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.