Polymorphism of HLA-DMA and DMB Alleles in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

JACQUES MOREL, CLARISSE DA SILVA SIMOES, ODILE AVINENS, JACQUES SANY, BERNARD COMBE, and JEAN-FRANCOIS ELIAOU

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To evaluate the contribution of HLA-DM alleles to susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Caucasian population.

Methods. HLA-DMA and DMB alleles were studied in 73 patients with SLE, 147 randomly selected controls, and 86 HLA-DRB1 genotype matched controls by oligotyping of polymerase chain reaction amplified genomic DNA with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes.

Results. There was a significant presence of HLA-DMA*0103, DMA*0104, and DMB*0102 in the SLE patients compared with the randomly selected controls. After stratification of patients and matched controls according to DRB1 genotypes, only HLA-DMA*0104 was increased in SLE patients negative for the SLE susceptibility HLA-DR alleles. For the patients and controls positive for HLA-DR allele-susceptibility for SLE, HLA-DMA*0103, DMA*0104, DMB*0102, and DMB*0103 alleles tended to be more frequent, but without reaching statistical significance. No correlation was found between HLA-DM phenotype frequencies and any clinical or biological manifestations of SLE.

Conclusion. This is the first study evaluating the influence of HLA-DM in a Caucasian SLE population. Our results suggest that HLA-DMA*0104 may represent a novel allele of susceptibility to SLE. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:1485-90)

Key Indexing Terms:

SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
HLA-DM
POLYMORPHISM

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From the Service d'Immunorhumatologie, Hôpital Lapeyronie; Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Hôpital Saint-Eloi; and Unité INSERM 454, Montpellier, France.

Supported by grants from Société Française de Rhumatologie.

J. Morel, MD; C. Da Silva Simoes, MD; J. Sany, MD, Professor of Rheumatology; B. Combe, MD, PhD, Professor of Rheumatology, Service d'Immunorhumatologie, Hôpital Lapeyronie; O. Avinens, Technician; J-F. Eliaou, MD, PhD, Professor of Immunology, Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Hôpital Saint-Eloi.

Address reprint requests to Dr. J. Morel, Service d'immunorhumatologie, Hôpital Lapeyronie 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. E-mail: j-morel@chu-montpellier.fr

Submitted August 2, 2002; revision accepted December 5, 2002.

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