HLA-linked susceptibility to intractable vasculitis syndrome

Sixty-four patients with Takayasu arteritis, 204 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 53 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 64 patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) in the Japanese population were typed for HLA class II genes at DNA level. The results suggest that susceptibility to Takayasu arteritis is controlled by HLA-B52-DRB1*1502-DRB5*0102-DQA1*0103-DQB1 *0601-DPA1*02-DPB1*0401 haplotype, because the frequency of that HLA haplotype was increased with statistical significance in the patients as compared with that in the healthy controls. On the other hand, the HLA-DRB1*0405-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0401 haplotype was associated with the susceptibility to RA. Susceptibility to SLE and MCTD are controlled by the HLA-DRB1 *1501-DRB5*0101-DQA1*0102-DQB1*0602 haplotype and the HLA-DRB1*0401-DRB4*0101- DQA1*0301-DQB1*0301, haplotype respectively. These observations clearly indicate the presence of HLA-linked disease susceptibility genes to Takayasu arteritis, RA, SLE and MCTD, and the difference in HLA-linked genetic background between these four diseases.