Bel Hadj Ali Insaf, Ben Saida Asma, Beltaief Najeh, Namouchi Imen, Besbes Ghazi, Ghazoueni Ezzeddine, Ben Arab Saida
Unité d'Epidémiologie Génétique et Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunisia.
Ann Hum Biol. 2012 May;39(3):190-4. doi: 10.3109/03014460.2012.671849. Epub 2012 Apr 4.
Otosclerosis is a common form of hearing impairment among Western-Eurasian adults. The cause of otosclerosis remains unknown. Autoimmune reaction against the otic capsule has been suggested as a possible aetiologic factor in otosclerosis.
The present study is the first report to evaluate the relationship between class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes (HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-Cw) and genetic susceptibility to otosclerosis in Tunisian patients.
Fifty unrelated Tunisian patients exhibiting clinical otosclerosis were typed for HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-Cw antigens and compared with 100 ethnically-matched healthy controls.
Increased frequencies of HLA-A03 (OR = 4.16, Pc < 0.043), HLA-B35 (OR = 2.76, Pc < 0.043) and HLA-Cw03 (OR = 4.57, Pc < 0.043) antigens were found in the patients with otosclerosis compared with healthy controls. Individuals with HLA-A30 (OR=0.25, Pc < 0.043), HLA-B51 (OR = 0.11, Pc < 0.043), HLA-Cw16 (OR = 0.08, Pc < 0.043) and Cw*06 (OR=0.32, Pc < 0.043) antigens have a protective effect against otosclerosis.
In conclusion, the data suggest that a variation in class I HLA antigens could be a genetic factor involved in susceptibility to otosclerosis in the Tunisian population.
