Multiple sclerosis immunogenetics. A possible correlation with human leukocyte HL-A antigens

Abstract

To investigate the relationships of genotype to susceptibility to multiple sclerosis, 42 patients hospitalized into Multiple Sclerosis Study Center of The Milan Medical School were typed for 14 HL-A specificities: HL-A1, HL-A2 + W 28, HL-A3, HL-A10 + W 19, HL-A11, HL-A9 of the 1st Series and HL-A5, HL-A7, HL-A8, HL-A12, HL-A13 of the 2nd Series. The increased HL-A9 frequency found in a previous study has been confirmed. Moreover in the total of multiple sclerosis patients this deviation reaches a higher degree of significance (P less than 0.01) and one antigen HL-A10 + W 19 appears to be significantly decreased (P less than 0.01). No variations were found in HL-A3, HL-A7 frequencies.