[HLA-DRW grouping in obstructive myocardiopathy].

Hypertrophic myocardiopathy with obstruction (HOMC) is a disease of unknown aetiology with a high familial incidence. This study was undertaken to determine its relationship to the HLA system, as proved in a number of other conditions. The clinical suspicion of HOMC was confirmed in all cases by echocardiography. In addition, 4 patients were also catheterised, confirming the presence of an intraventricular pressure gradient. One patient was investigated after surgery. None of the patients was hypertensive. In two cases, a positive family history of HOMC confirmed the hereditary nature of the condition. The HLA-A and B grouping was performed by the micro-lymphocytotoxic technique. The HLA-DRW was carried out with B lymphocytes separated either by column filtration or by rosetting on a Ficoll gradient. We did not find a statistically significant prevalence of any of the antigens tested on the A, B on DRW loci. Our results were compared with previously published data. They support the findings of Bloch et al. in a genetically comparable study population (HLA A and B only) but contradict those of Matsumori (oriental population). We were unable to demonstrate a liaison between antigens of the HLA system and HOMC. However, as was shown in our study, HLA grouping is valuable in familial forms of HOMC (mechanism of transmission, detection of clinically latent forms).