A common HLA haplotype in leukaemic families in Trinidad - abstract

ABSTRACT

In a previous study, 6 of 10 patients with acute lymphoblastic ;leukaemia (ALL) were found to have the HLA-B40 antigen, 4 of these 6 patients carrying both the HLA-A2 and B40 antigens. Three of these 4 patients have since died. In the present study, family studies were performed in order to determine whether the HLA-A2 and B40 antigens constituted a haplotype in these individuals. Of the 4 families, 3 were available for HLA typing. Results show that HLA-A2/B40 did constitute a haplotype in all three families. Furthermore, the haplotype in all cases was found to be of maternal origin. Whether this haplotype is associated with an immune response gene which conveys susceptibility of the disease cannot be determined from this small study. Further typing of leukaemic children and their families (including DR antigens) should be pursued. These findings may be found to have prognostic implications for treatment, since patients with the HLA-A2/B40 and A2/B12 haplotypes have been shown to have improved long-term survival with transfer factor immunotherapy in other populations (AU)