HLA-DPB1*03 as Risk Allele and HLA-DPB1*04 as Protective Allele for Both Early- and Adult-Onset Multiple Sclerosis in a Hellenic Cohort

Maria Anagnostouli; Artemios Artemiadis; Maria Gontika; Charalampos Skarlis; Nikolaos Markoglou; Serafeim Katsavos; Konstantinos Kilindireas; Ilias Doxiadis; Leonidas Stefanis

doi:10.3390/brainsci10060374

HLA-DPB103* as Risk Allele and HLA-DPB104* as Protective Allele for Both Early- and Adult-Onset Multiple Sclerosis in a Hellenic Cohort

Brain Sci. 2020 Jun 16;10(6):374. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10060374.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Neurology in Demyelinating Disease Unit & Director of Immunogenetics Laboratory, 1st Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, NKUA, Aeginition Hospital, 115 28 Athens, Greece.
² Immunogenetics Laboratory, 1st Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, NKUA, Aeginition Hospital, 115 28 Athens, Greece.
³ Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus.
⁴ Demyelinating Diseases Unit, 1st Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, NKUA, Aeginition Hospital, 115 28 Athens, Greece.
⁵ Transplantation Immunological Laboratory, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
⁶ 1st Department of Neurology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, NKUA, Aeginition Hospital, 115 28 Athens, Greece.

Abstract

Background: Human Leucocyte Antigens (HLA) represent the genetic loci most strongly linked to Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Apart from HLA-DR and HLA-DQ, HLA-DP alleles have been previously studied regarding their role in MS pathogenesis, but to a much lesser extent. Our objective was to investigate the risk/resistance influence of HLA-DPB1 alleles in Hellenic patients with early- and adult-onset MS (EOMS/AOMS), and possible associations with the HLA-DRB1*15:01 risk allele. Methods: One hundred MS-patients (28 EOMS, 72 AOMS) fulfilling the McDonald-2010 criteria were enrolled. HLA genotyping was performed with standard low-resolution Sequence-Specific Oligonucleotide techniques. Demographics, clinical and laboratory data were statistically processed using well-defined parametric and nonparametric methods and the SPSSv22.0 software. Results: No significant HLA-DPB1 differences were found between EOMS and AOMS patients for 23 distinct HLA-DPB1 and 12 HLA-DRB1 alleles. The HLA-DPB1*03 allele frequency was found to be significantly increased, and the HLA-DPB1*02 allele frequency significantly decreased, in AOMS patients compared to controls. The HLA-DPB1*04 allele was to be found significantly decreased in AOMS and EOMS patients compared to controls. Conclusions: Our study supports the previously reported risk susceptibility role of the HLA-DPB1*03 allele in AOMS among Caucasians. Additionally, we report for the first time a protective role of the HLA-DPB1*04 allele among Hellenic patients with both EOMS and AOMS.

Keywords: Human Leucocyte Antigens; Multiple Sclerosis; adult-onset; clinical outcome; clinical phenotype; early-onset; immunogenetics; therapeutics.