Frequency of DRB1-DQB1 two-locus haplotypes in tuberculosis: preliminary report.

Analysis of correlation between tuberculosis (TB) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in populations from Asia and Latin America has shown conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HLA-DRB1-DQB1 two-locus haplotypes of 61 TB patients and 125 healthy volunteers in the same ethnic group in Poland. DRB1 and DQB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSP "low-resolution" and "high-resolution" methods. Our study showed that DRB11601 and DQB10502 alleles were more frequent, whereas DQB10201 was rarer in TB than in controls. DRB116-DQB105, DRB104-DQB103 and DRB11601-DQB10502 haplotype were more common, and DRB111-DQB103 less frequent in TB in comparison to controls. Positive linkage disequilibrium (LD) for DRB101-DQB105, DRB103-DQB102, DRB111-DQB103, DRB113-DQB106 and DRB115-DQB106 was found in controls. A trend towards the positive LD for DRB101-DQB105, DRB103-DQB102, DRB111-DQB103, DRB115-DQB106 and DRB116-DQB105 was shown in TB. The trend towards the positive LD for DRB116-DQB105 haplotype in TB patients was not observed in the control group. It seems likely that the presence of DRB11601, DQB10502 alleles and DRB11601-DQB10502, DRB104-DQB103, DRB114-DQB105 haplotypes may be related to a higher risk of developing TB, whereas low frequency of DQB10201 and DRB111-DQB103 haplotype may be linked to the resistance to TB.