Molecular analysis of HLA-DRB1 allelic associations with systemic lupus erythematous and lupus nephritis in Taiwan.

To evaluate the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 alleles with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN) in the Taiwanese population, and to investigate the possible association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with disease severity in LN. HLA-DRB1 alleles were studied in 105 SLE patients (82 patients with LN, 23 patients without LN) and 855 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction and sequence-based typing assays. The frequency of the HLA class II alleles DRB10301 (Odds ratio [OR] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31-3.10, Pc = 0.02) and DRB11501 (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.36-3.13, Pc = 0.01) were both increased in SLE patients, compared to healthy controls. The frequency of DRB11202 was significantly lower in LN patients than in SLE patients without nephritis (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.09-0.57, Pc = 0.01). No specific allele was significantly associated with an increased or decreased risk for severity of LN in this sample. In Taiwanese people, the DRB10301 and DRB11501 alleles are significant risk factors for SLE, while the DRB11202 allele is protective for LN.