HLA Determinants in Idiopathic Hemochromatosis

Abstract
HLA-A and B antigens were defined in 154 unrelated idiopathic hemochromatosis patients. The study confirmed the highly significant positive association with HLA antigens A3 (corrected P < 10-10) and B14 (corrected P < 10-9). HLA-DR typing showed increased frequency of the specificity DRw6, which was frequently associated with the phenotype A3, B14 and antigen B14, suggesting linkage disequilibrium. This was borne out by PLT [primed lymphocyte typing] data.