Immunogenetic aspects of duodenal ulcer in Helicobacter pylori positive Europeans in Western Siberia

AIM: To study HLA associations with HP-positive duodenal ulcer (DU). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 47 Europeoid DU and 680 healthy subjects were examined for class I and II HLA antigens. Typing of class I antigens was conducted in the microlymphocytotoxicity test, of class 2 antigens--by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The study has found associations of duodenal ulcer with HLA-A10, -B41 and different combinations of these alleles whereas HLA-A9 was protective. A relative risk of peptic ulcer was 3.03 in HLA-A10 (pcor < 0.05) and 7.78 in HLA-B41 (p < 0.001). The allele A9 occurred more frequently in healthy controls (30.15%) than in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients with DU (10.64%, RR = 3.50, pcor < 0.05). Frequencies of alleles HLA-DR7 and HLA-A1/B12 were higher in HP-positive DU patients with family history of peptic ulcer (RR = 4.00 and RR = 11.92, respectively, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that HLA may influence duodenal ulcer susceptibility and resistance. The relationships help prognosticate not only development of the disease in HP infection but also the age of the infection manifestation.