High frequency of HLA‐DR5 in Greek patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B

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Abstract
Sixty unrelated Greek patients with haemophilia (46 with haemophilia A and 14 with haemophilia B) were typed for HLA-A, B and DR antigens. A highly significant increase in the frequency of HLA-DR5 was observed in both groups of patients (58.6% vs 30.0%, .chi.2 = 10.47, pc < 0.03, RR = 3.31 for haemophilia A and 78.5% vs 30.0%, .chi.2 = 12.32, pc < 0.007, RR = 8.5 for haemophilia B). An increased frequency of HLA-B13 was also observed in patients with haemophilia A (15.2% vs 5.7%, .chi.2 = 5.74, pc < 0.4, RR = 2.9). Thirty of the 60 patients (50.0%) were positive for LAV/HTLVIII antibodies. HLA-DR5 was equally distributed in patients with and without these antibodies (63.3% and 63.3%, respectively). The presence of DR5 did not correlate with the severity of haemophilia A or B. These results may suggest 1) an influence of gene(s) on chromosome 6 in haemophilia A and haemophilia B and 2) no effect of HLA antigens in the susceptibility to LAV/HTLVIII infection among haemophiliac patients.