HLA system and Balkan endemic nephropathy (a collective study with the collaboration of all participants in the HLA workshop--Sofia 1976).

Balkan endemic nephropathy, a fatal family disease with unknown aetiology and pathogenesis is typical for three neighbouring regions in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Rumania. HLA typing of 180 patients from the endemic area in Bulgaria was done and the antigen frequencies were compared with 1264 healthy controls. An increased frequency (P less than 0.001) of the antigen HLA-B18 in the patients was demonstrated.