Hereditary factors in Takayasu disease. II. Various blood types.

As HLA studies suggest that the genetic factors contributing to the pathogenesis of Takayasu disease may be polygene, various red blood types, allotypes of serum protein and red blood cell enzyme polymorphisms in eighty-four patients with Takayasu disease were studied and their phenotypes and gene frequencies were compared with those in healthy Japanese. Statistically significant high frequencies of phenotypes and/or gene frequencies were confirmed in MNSs, Rh-Hr, Tf, Gc and Pi in Takayasu disease, as compared with those in controls. These characteristics of gene frequencies were more remarkable in patients who do not carry HLA Bw52. These data suggest that the genetic factors contributing to the pathogenesis of Takayasu disease are polygene and may be located in chromosome No. 1, 4 and 14.