HLA-DR3 associated genetic control of response to multiple skin tests with new tuberculins.

  • 1 May 1983
    • journal article
    • Vol. 52  (2) , 287-92
Abstract
Multiple skin testing with mycobacterial antigenic preparations reveals distinct reaction patterns, which might be relevant to the development of mycobacterial disease in man. Previous work has shown that HLA-DR associated factors correlate with the position of a leprosy patient in the immunopathological spectrum of leprosy. This study was undertaken to see whether these skin test patterns in healthy persons do show any association with HLA-DR types. Out of a group of 74 healthy Caucasoid individuals HLA-DR3 was observed to be absent from the 16 individuals who did not respond to any of the mycobacterial antigens tested. This is a striking difference from the distribution of HLA-DR3 both among the 17 individuals who responded to all mycobacterial antigens tested (P = 0.005) and the 41 individuals who responded to some but not all antigens (P = 0.015). These data show that an HLA-DR3 associated genetic factor controls, albeit indirectly, skin test responsiveness to mycobacterial antigens. It may be significant that this same HLA-DR determinant is implicated in deciding the type of disease to be developed by a leprosy patient.