ANALYSIS OF HLA-DQB AND HLA-DPB ALLELES IN Graves'DISEASE BY OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBING OF ENZYMATICALLY AMPLIFIED DNA

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Abstract
We have tested the possible association of HLA-DQB and HLA-DPB alleles with Graves'' thyrotoxicosis, with or without severe ophthalmopathy, by polymerase chain amplification of genomic DNA and allele-specific oligonucleotide probing. There was no significantly abnormal distribution of DQB alleles compared to 50 control subjects except for a reduced prevalence of DQw 3.1 in the Graves'' patients with severe ophthalmopathy (.chi.2 = 6.23, P 0.02). HLA-DPB 2.1/8 was found in only 1 of 40 of these patients compared with 15 of the controls (.chi.2 = 11.49, P < 0.001). Ten of 48 patients with Graves'' disease but without clinically significant eye involvement were HLA-DPB 2.1/8 positive, not significantly different from controls, but significantly different from the ophthalmopathy group (.chi.2 = 6.70, P < 0.01). The other DPB alleles in both groups of Graves'' diseases patients were the same as controls. These results suggest that HLA-DPB 2.1/8 may confer a protective effect in Graves'' disease with respect to ophthalmopathy.