Associations of HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 types with oral diseases in Swiss adults

PLoS One. 2014 Jul 29;9(7):e103527. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103527. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are crucial components of host defense against microbial challenge but the associations of HLA types with oral infectious diseases have not been studied in detail. This prospective cross-sectional study examined associations of HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 types with common oral diseases in a healthy Swiss adult population. 257 subjects (107 m, 150 f, mean age: 43.5 yr; range: 21-58 yr) with known HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 profiles and comprehensive medical records were included. A thorough anamnesis was followed by oral examinations including saliva flow measurements, the DMFT score for cariological status, complete periodontal status with plaque and bleeding indexes as well as assessment of mucosal alterations and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD). Student's t-test and Pearson chi-square test were utilized to compare the oral diseases between HLA positive and negative subjects. Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was used and PBonf<0.05 was considered statistically significant. HLA types -B15 (PBonf = 0.002), -B51 (PBonf = 0.02) and -DRB1*12 (PBonf = 0.02) were associated with less periodontal disease manifestations. HLA-A32 had a positive association with TMD dysfunction (PBonf = 0.012). No other statistically significant associations were observed. In conclusion, HLA types may contribute to the development of oral diseases in generally healthy Caucasian adults.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Dental Caries / epidemiology
  • Dental Caries / pathology
  • Female
  • HLA-A Antigens / genetics
  • HLA-A Antigens / metabolism*
  • HLA-B Antigens / metabolism*
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / metabolism*
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Diseases / epidemiology
  • Mouth Diseases / genetics
  • Mouth Diseases / pathology*
  • Periodontitis / epidemiology
  • Periodontitis / pathology
  • Prevalence
  • Prospective Studies
  • Switzerland
  • White People

Substances

  • HLA-A Antigens
  • HLA-A*32 antigen
  • HLA-B Antigens
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains

Grants and funding

This study (TW) was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation (32003B-121582) URL: www.snf.ch; and Schweizerische Zahnärzte-Gesellschaft (SSO Fonds 246-09) URL: www.sso.ch. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.