Human lymphocyte antigens A,B and C in Egyptian patients with psorasis

The frequencies of human lumphocyte antigens [HLAs] A, B and C were shudied in a group of 53 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and one hundred control subjects. An increased frequency of HLA-A 2, A 2 +/- A 28, Bw73, Bw4, Bw6 and Cw 6 were noted in the group of patients. Cw6 was the commonest antigen with a relative risk of 22. Surprisingly, HLA-B13, B17, B27 and B37 were almost protective in our patients. The significance of HLA and the development of psoriasis is as yet not known. It may act by controlling the immune responce or by serving as a receptor for a hypothetical causative agent for psoriasis