Host Factors and susceptibility to rubella virus infection: The association of HLA antigens

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Abstract
To examine the role of host‐dependent factors to natural rubella infection, the positive rates of HAI antibody according to HLA‐A and ‐B antigens were studied in 93 children, aged 9 to 10, who were exposed only to a recent epidemic (single‐exposure group), and in 199 adult females, aged 18 to 23, who were exposed also to a former epidemic (dual‐exposure group). Furthermore, the phenotype frequencies of HLA antigens were investigated in seronegative subjects in both groups, as well as in 58 adult female vac‐cinees, in comparison with those of the Japanese population. The seropositive rates by the HLA antigens, 38.7% and 73.4%, respectively, in each exposure group were found in subjects having some HLA antigens. Several of these candidate HLA antigens varied in phenotype frequencies in seronegative subjects of all three groups from those of the average Japanese. Although a few types were statistically significant, no contradictory findings in susceptibility were obtained among the groups during the study, which suggested strongly that subjects with HLA‐Bw51 and ‐Bw16 are susceptible to rubella infection, and subjects with HLA‐Aw33 are less susceptible. In addition, when the seropositive rates were compared in all combinations of HLA‐A and ‐B antigens classified according to expected susceptibility, the positive rates were arranged in order of susceptibility with significant statistical differences in several groups.