Objective: To access the association of HLA-DQA1 and -DQB1 alleles with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome (VKH).
Methods: The alleles in DQA1 and DQB1 loci of patients with VKH matched with 50 healthy controls were subtyped by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).
Results: DQA1 * 0301 and DQB1 * 0401 alleles were in close association with VKH syndrome, as compared to the controls (Pc < 10(-7)), with the relative risk (RR) 16.47 and 88.00, respectively. The frequency of DQA1 * 0301-DQB1 * 0401 haplotype in patients with VKH was also significantly higher than that in healthy controls (78.6%, 4.0%, Pc < 10(-7), RR = 88.00). Among the 15 patients who were negative for the haplotype of DQA1 * 0301-DQB1 * 0401, 7 of them were found to be positive for DRB1 * 15-DQA1 * 0102-DQB1 * 0602/3 haplotype, with the frequency significantly higher than that in the controls (46.7%, 12.5%, Pc = 0.01, RR = 6.13). However, DQA1 * 0103-DQB1 * 0601 was the only one of the DQA1-DQB1 haplotypes with a significantly lower frequency in patients with VKH in comparison with that in the controls (2.9%, 24%, Pc = 0.001, RR = 0.09). The susceptible haplotype was not related to the clinical features.
Conclusions: The results suggest that DQA1 * 0301-DQB1 * 0401 and DRB1 * 15-DQA1 * 0102-DQB1 * 0602/3 be associated with the susceptibility in VKH. On the other hand, DQA1 * 0103-DQB1 * 0601 may play a role in resisting against VKH syndrome.