ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Previous investigations have linked specific HLA class II alleles DRB1 and DQB1 to H. pylori infection (Y. Huang et al., 2005). AIM: to investigate potential contribution of HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles in H. pylori infection susceptibility in a Russian pediatric population. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) method was used to study the HLA-DRB1, DQB1 allelic frequency distribution in 162 children (93 female) with H. pylori infection was determined by culture, breath test and histology. RESULTS: The carrier frequency of DQB1*03 was higher among H. pylori--positive patients with chronic gastritis only compared with H. pylori-negative patients. The difference in carrier frequencies for HLA-DRB1*17 was higher in H. pylori-positive ulcer patients compared with an uninfected controls (chi2 = 3.69, p = 0.027). In addition, the frequency of genotypes that possess HLA-DQB1*07 allele in the H. pylori-positive children (with peptic ulcer/ chronic gastritis only) was significantly lower than that in the H. pylori-negative control group. CONCLUSIONS: HLA-DQB1*07 allele may be associated with protection against H. pylori infection independently of clinical outcome. At the same time, HLA-DRB1*17 allele might be associated with susceptible gene to peptic ulcer formation among H. pylori-positive children.
