HLA-DQB1*06 May Predispose People to Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that leads to the disability of the affected people. The etiology of the disease is not clear, but it is believed that it has an autoimmune nature. Several studies suggested that the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II loci are the most prominent genetic risk factor for MS susceptibility. The Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQB1*06 allele was introduced in numerous studies as the MS genetic predisposition factor, but there is a debate about it in different regions. This study aims to analyze the association of the HLA-DQB1*06 allele in Tehran. Blood samples were collected from 117 MS and 114 healthy people. DNA was extracted, and genotyping was performed using allele-specific primers. Our results showed that the HLA-DQB1*06 allele is significantly associated with MS (p-value < 0.000, odds ratio = 0.059, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.14). The homozygous genotype was also more prevalent in the MS group compared with the control (p-value < 0.000, odds ratio = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1- 0.39). Our results show no difference in allelic distribution of this gene between men and women. Our data suggest that the HLA-DQB1*06 could be considered as an important genetic risk factor for MS in Tehran.