ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the influence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) on genetic susceptibility to Meniere's disease and to evaluate the correlation between HLA genotypes and results of examination for various clinical factors of Meniere's disease. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The distribution of HLA class I was examined in 39 patients with MD and 199 healthy controls. For HLA-A and B, the serologic typing was performed according to a standard microlymphocytotoxicity technique. The HLA-C typing was performed by the ARMS-PCR method at DNA level. RESULTS: The frequencies of HLA-CwX0303 (RR=, p<0.02), and CwX0602 (RR=, p<0.03) were significantly increased in patients with Menieres disease, when compared to the controls. However, HLA-B44 (RR=, p<0.004) and CwX0102 (RR=, p<0.03) were significantly decreased in the patients compared to the controls. When an association between hearing level and the presence of HLA alleles was evaluated, the frequencies of HLA-B13 (RR=, p<0.004), CwX0303 (RR=5, p<0.02) and CwX0602 (RR=5, p<0.02) were significantly increased and the frequencies of B44 (RR=1, p*lt;0.02) and CwX0102 (RR=1, p<0.03) were significantly decreased in patients with the state of mild to profound hearing losses, compared to the controls. HLA-B13 showed a different distribution pattern between patients with and without hearing losses. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that some HLA alleles may be useful genetic markers in conferring the susceptibility to Meniere's disease and in implying a prognosis in Korean patients.