Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles have been implicated in many autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study is to assess whether HLA-DR/DQ alleles confer susceptibility to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in a Tunisian population.
Methods: The HLA-DR/DQ genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) in 38 patients with GBS and 100 healthy Tunisian control subjects.
Results: GBS in Tunisian patients was found to be associated with the following alleles with these relative patient versus control frequencies (pc denotes Bonferroni corrected probability values): DRB1*13 (23.68% vs. 9.0%; pc=0.01), followed by DRB1*14 (22.36% vs.5.5%; pc<10(-3)). Two haplotypes, DRB1*14/DQB1*05 and DRB1*13/DQB1*03, were found to be associated with susceptibility to GBS. However DRB1*07/DQB1*02 and DRB1*03/DQB1*02 haplotypes were more frequently observed in controls than in patients (11.5% vs.7.9%; pc=0.007 and 23% vs. 5.26%; pc<10(-3) respectively). These haplotypes seem to confer protection against the disease.
Conclusion: Our data demonstrated a new GBS predisposition associated with HLA-DRB1*14 and DRB1*13. Theses alleles could be predisposing genetic factors for GBS in the Tunisian population.
Keywords: Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS); HLA; Neuroimmunology; Neuropathy.
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