Evidence for association between the HLA-DQA locus and abdominal aortic aneurysms in the Belgian population: a case control study

Authors

Toru Ogata, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Lucie Gregoire, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Katrina AB Goddard, Case Western Reserve UniversityFollow
Magdalena Skunca, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Gerard Tromp, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Wayne D. Lancaster, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Antonio R. Parrado, Case Western Reserve UniversityFollow
Qing Lu, Case Western Reserve UniversityFollow
Hidenori Shibamura, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow
Natzi Sakalihasan, University of LiègeFollow
Raymond Limet, University of LiègeFollow
Gerald L. MacKean, Dalhousie UniversityFollow
Claudette Arthur, Dalhousie UniversityFollow
Taijiro Sueda, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Hiroshima UniversityFollow
Helena Kuivaniemi, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Abstract

Background

Chronic inflammation and autoimmunity likely contribute to the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of autoimmunity in the etiology of AAAs using a genetic association study approach with HLA polymorphisms.

Methods

HLA-DQA1, -DQB1, -DRB1 and -DRB3-5 alleles were determined in 387 AAA cases (180 Belgian and 207 Canadian) and 426 controls (269 Belgian and 157 Canadian) by a PCR and single-strand oligonucleotide probe hybridization assay.

Results

We observed a potential association with the HLA-DQA1 locus among Belgian males (empirical p = 0.027, asymptotic p = 0.071). Specifically, there was a significant difference in the HLA-DQA1*0102 allele frequencies between AAA cases (67/322 alleles, 20.8%) and controls (44/356 alleles, 12.4%) in Belgian males (empirical p = 0.019, asymptotic p = 0.003). In haplotype analyses, marginally significant association was found between AAA and haplotype HLA-DQA1-DRB1 (p = 0.049 with global score statistics and p = 0.002 with haplotype-specific score statistics).

Conclusion

This study showed potential evidence that the HLA-DQA1 locus harbors a genetic risk factor for AAAs suggesting that autoimmunity plays a role in the pathogenesis of AAAs.

Disciplines

Circulatory and Respiratory Physiology | Environmental Public Health

Recommended Citation

Ogata et al. BMC Medical Genetics 2006, 7:67
doi:10.1186/1471-2350-7-67