Autoimmune Studies and HLA Associations in SLE Patients from Mumbai

ABSTRACT To determine the autoimmune status and HLA allele distribution in SLE patients confirmed on serological and clinical grounds and compared with normal age matched ethnic control population from Mumbai. HLA A, B serological typing were carried out in 53 unrelated SLE patients and 110 healthy controls. Autoantibodies were detected by indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA techniques. The autoantibodies directed towards ANF, anti Sm, AHA were increased among the major organ involved patients while the antibodies like anti- dsDNA, anti- ssDNA, anti- nRNP, anti- SSA (Ro), anti- SSA (La) and RF were increased among the other patients with minor organ involvement. HLA A1, A2, and B27 alleles were positively associated, while HLA A19, and B15 alleles were negatively associated among the total SLE patients when compared to normal controls. It was further interesting to note that among the major organ involved severe patients A3, A28, and B7 where increased while A11, A19 and B17 were decreased. Among the minor organ involved patients it was A1, A2, A26, B5, B40 and B56 which were increased while A11, A28 and B7 were decreased. A significant twofold increase in the odds ratio for HLA A3, A28 and B27 alleles with increased Ro, La, Sm and ds DNA autoantibodies was observed when compared to controls. A significant twofold decrease in the odds ratio for HLA A19, A11, B7 and B15 alleles with decreased Ro, La, Sm and ds DNA autoantibodies was observed, when compared to normal controls suggesting the positive and negative associations of these HLA alleles among the SLE patients from Mumbai