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HLA-B*39 Allele Confers Susceptibility to Osteoarticular Complications in Human Brucellosis
MARIA JOSÉ BRAVO, JUAN de DIOS COLMENERO, ANTONIO ALONSO, and ABELARDO CABALLERO
ABSTRACT.
Methods. A total of 57 patients with brucellosis, of whom 23 had osteoarticular complications, and 73 healthy volunteers were genotyped for HLA class I and class II antigens by a polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer technique. Results. The HLA-B*39 allele was present in significantly more patients with osteoarticular complications than in the other patients (35% vs 3%; p = 0.0006, OR 15.684, 95% CI 3.453–71.231), or in the controls. Conclusion. The increased presence of the HLA-B39 genotype in patients with brucellosis with clinical osteoarticular manifestations suggests that this genotype confers susceptibility to developing severe osteoarticular focal forms of the disease. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:1051-3) Key Indexing Terms:
HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS
From the Immunology Service and the Internal Medicine Service, Carlos-Haya Hospital, Malaga, Spain. Supported by a grant from the Servicio Andaluz de Salud SAS (40/00) of the Junta de Andalucía. M.J. Bravo, BSc; A. Alonso, MD, PhD; A. Caballero, MD, PhD, Immunology Service; J.D. Colmenero, MD, PhD, Internal Medicine Service. Address reprint requests to Dr. A. Caballero, Immunology Section, Carlos Haya Hospital, Avenida Carlos Haya, 29010 Málaga, Spain. E-mail: acaba@hch.sas.junta-andalucia.es Submitted July 17, 2002; revision accepted October 28, 2002. |