Reduced Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Protection in Gulf War Illness (GWI)

Autor: Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, Lisa M. James, Margaret Y. Mahan, Jasmine Joseph, Angeliki Georgopoulos, Brian E. Engdahl
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: EBioMedicine, Vol 3, Iss C, Pp 79-85 (2016)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2352-3964
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.11.037
Popis: Background: Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a disease of unknown etiology with symptoms suggesting the involvement of an immune process. Here we tested the hypothesis that Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) composition might differ between veterans with and without GWI. Methods: We identified 144 unique alleles of Class I and II HLA genes in 82 veterans (66 with and 16 without GWI). We tested the hypothesis that a subset of HLA alleles may classify veterans in their respective group using a stepwise linear discriminant analysis. In addition, each participant rated symptom severity in 6 domains according to established GWI criteria, and an overall symptom severity was calculated. Findings: We found 6 Class II alleles that classified participants 84.1% correctly (13/16 control and 56/66 GWI). The number of copies of the 6 alleles was significantly higher in the control group, suggesting a protective role. This was supported by a significant negative dependence of overall symptom severity on the number of allele copies, such that symptom severity was lower in participants with larger numbers of allele copies. Interpretation: These results indicate a reduced HLA protection (i.e. genetic susceptibility) in veterans with GWI. Funding: University of Minnesota and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals