DNA typing of HLA‐B gene in Takayasu's Arteritis

Abstract: Sixty‐four patients with Takayasu's arteritis and 156 healthy individuals in the Japanese population were examined for HLA‐B specificity at the DNA level by DNA typing using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) analysis and by subsequent sequencing analysis. The frequency of epitope combination group‐B52 (EC‐B52) corresponding precisely to HLA‐B52 specificity and that of EC‐B39.2 which is a newly‐identified subtype of HLA‐B39 specificity were increased in the patient group. These two disease‐associated HLA‐B alleles share an epitope composed of ⁶³Glu and ⁶⁷Ser. Because two HLA‐B alleles, HLA‐B51 and B39.1, which are similar but different at the epitope from HLA‐B52 and B39.2, respectively, are not associated with Takayasu arteritis, ⁶³Glu and ⁶⁷Ser are supposed to be involved in the pathogenesis. 1993 Blackwell Munksgaard