HLA DR15 (DR2) and DQB1*0602 typing studies in 188 narcoleptic patients with cataplexy

Neurology. 1997 Jun;48(6):1550-6. doi: 10.1212/wnl.48.6.1550.

Abstract

Narcolepsy is considered a homogeneous clinical entity when excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy are present. Cataplexy is a polymorphic symptom that can be very mild and is thus subjectively defined. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) is widely used as a diagnostic test for narcolepsy. A short mean sleep latency and multiple sleep onset REM periods (SOREMPs) are typically observed in narcoleptic patients. The discovery of a tight association of narcolepsy with HLA class II antigens offers a unique opportunity to explore the respective value of the MSLT or of the presence of clear-cut cataplexy in defining an etiologically homogeneous group of narcoleptic patients. In this study, we carried out HLA typing for DR15(DR2) and DQB1*0602 in 188 narcoleptic patients with cataplexy in three ethnic groups (24 Asians, 61 Blacks, and 103 Caucasians). These results confirm the importance of DQB1*0602 typing rather than DR15 (DR2) typing in Black narcoleptic patients and demonstrate that the presence of clear-cut cataplexy is a better predictor for DQB1*0602 positivity than the presence of abnormal MSLT results.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Asian People / genetics
  • Biomarkers
  • Black People / genetics
  • Cataplexy / diagnosis
  • Cataplexy / genetics*
  • Cataplexy / immunology*
  • Female
  • HLA-DQ Antigens / genetics*
  • HLA-DQ Antigens / immunology
  • HLA-DQ beta-Chains
  • HLA-DR Antigens / genetics*
  • HLA-DR Antigens / immunology
  • HLA-DR Serological Subtypes
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Polysomnography
  • Sex Factors
  • White People / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • HLA-DQ Antigens
  • HLA-DQ beta-Chains
  • HLA-DQB1 antigen
  • HLA-DR Antigens
  • HLA-DR Serological Subtypes
  • HLA-DR15 antigen