. 2018 Mar:29:31-37.

doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.02.005. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

Protective Effect of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Allele DRB1*13:02 on Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Volume Reduction in Healthy Women

Lisa M James¹, Peka Christova², Scott M Lewis³, Brian E Engdahl⁴, Angeliki Georgopoulos⁵, Apostolos P Georgopoulos⁶

Affiliations

¹ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
² Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
³ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁴ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁶ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: omega@umn.edu.

PMID: 29452862
PMCID: PMC5925575
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.02.005

Protective Effect of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Allele DRB1*13:02 on Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Volume Reduction in Healthy Women

Lisa M James et al. EBioMedicine. 2018 Mar.

. 2018 Mar:29:31-37.

doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.02.005. Epub 2018 Feb 8.

Authors

Lisa M James¹, Peka Christova², Scott M Lewis³, Brian E Engdahl⁴, Angeliki Georgopoulos⁵, Apostolos P Georgopoulos⁶

Affiliations

¹ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
² Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
³ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁴ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁵ Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
⁶ Brain Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN 5541, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: omega@umn.edu.

PMID: 29452862
PMCID: PMC5925575
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.02.005

Abstract

Background: Reduction of brain volume (brain atrophy) during healthy brain aging is well documented and dependent on genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. Here we investigated the possible dependence of brain gray matter volume reduction in the absence of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) allele DRB1*13:02 which prevents brain atrophy in Gulf War Illness (James et al., 2017).

Methods: Seventy-one cognitively healthy women (32-69years old) underwent a structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) scan to measure the volumes of total gray matter, cerebrocortical gray matter, and subcortical gray matter. Participants were assigned to two groups, depending on whether they lacked the DRB1*13:02 allele (No DRB1*13:02 group, N=60) or carried the DRB1*13:02 allele (N=11). We assessed the change of brain gray matter volume with age in each group by performing a linear regression where the brain volume (adjusted for total intracranial volume) was the dependent variable and age was the independent variable.

Findings: In the No DRB1*13:02 group, the volumes of total gray matter, cerebrocortical gray matter, and subcortical gray matter were reduced highly significantly. In contrast, none of these volumes showed a statistically significant reduction with age in the DRB1*13:02 group.

Interpretation: These findings document the protective effect of DRB1*13:02 on age-dependent reduction of brain gray matter in healthy individuals. Since the role of this allele is to connect to matching epitopes of external antigens for the subsequent production of antibodies and elimination of the offending antigen, we hypothesize that its protective effect may be due to the successful elimination of such antigens to which we are exposed during the lifespan, antigens that otherwise would persist causing gradual brain atrophy. In addition, we consider a possible beneficial role of DRB1*13:02 attributed to its binding to cathepsin S, a known harmful substance in brain aging (Wendt et al., 2008). Of course, other factors covarying with the presence of DRB1*13:02 could be involved.

Keywords: Brain atrophy; DRB1*13:02; Healthy brain aging; Human Leukocyte Antigen.

Published by Elsevier B.V.

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Figures

**Fig. 1**
Total brain gray matter volume is plotted against age for the No DRB1*13:02 group (N = 60). Values of volumes are residuals after adjusting for total intracranial volume (eTIV).

**Fig. 2**
Total brain gray matter volume is plotted against age for the DRB1*13:02 group (N = 11). Conventions are as in Fig. 1. The dotted line indicates that the slope of the fitted line did not differ significantly from zero (see text for details).

**Fig. 3**
Cortical gray matter volume is plotted against age for the No DRB1*13:02 group. Conventions are as in Fig. 1.

**Fig. 4**
Cortical gray matter volume is plotted against age for the DRB1*13:02 group. Conventions are as in Fig. 2.

**Fig. 5**
Subcortical gray matter volume is plotted against age for the No DRB1*13:02 group. Conventions are as in Fig. 1.

**Fig. 6**
Subcortical brain gray matter volume is plotted against age for the DRB1*13:02 group. Conventions are as in Fig. 2.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Protective Effect of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Allele DRB1*13:02 on Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Volume Reduction in Healthy Women

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Protective Effect of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Allele DRB1*13:02 on Age-Related Brain Gray Matter Volume Reduction in Healthy Women

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