Association of HLA-A*11:01, -A*24:02, and -B*18:01 with Prostate Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci, the most polymorphic regions within the human genome, encode protein complexes responsible for antigen presentation and CD4+ and CD8+ cell activation. In prostate cancer (PCa), the second most diagnosed cancer in the male population, MHC loci undergo significant changes in their expression patterns, which affect the ability of the immune system to attack and eliminate malignant cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the genetic diversity of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A and HLA-B in patients with PCa and healthy controls (HCs) by performing HLA genotyping using NGS technology. The analysis highlighted statistically significant differences ( < 0.05) in the prevalence of three alleles (A11:01, A24:02, and B18:01). Among the HCs analyzed, 14.89% had A11:01, 20.21% had A24:02, and 30.61% had B18:01; while 5.21% of patients with PCa presented A11:01, 9.38% presented A24:02, 18.08% presented B18:01. Odds ratio (OR) calculations underlined a negative association between the three alleles and the risk of PCa (OR < 1). The results presented in this study suggest a protective role of A11:01, A24:02, and B18:01 in PCa.