HLA‐A, B and C and HLA‐DR antigens in intrinsic and allergic asthma

Abstract

Some 103 patients with asthma and 100 healthy volunteers were typed for HLA-A, B and C and HLA-DR antigens. The 103 patients consisted of 33 with intrinsic asthma, 34 with extrinsic asthma and 36 having precipitins to Aspergillus fumigatus. No increase in frequency of any of the A, B, C, or DR antigens was significant after correction for the number of comparisons was made. Certain trends comparable to findings in other immunopathic disorders were noted. For example B12 was increased in the allergic asthmatics (46 vs. 29% controls) and B12 is apparently associated with the ability to produce the Ig[immunoglobulin]E antibodies. A3/B7/DRw2 (which are in linkage disequilibrium) all show a decreased frequency in intrinsic asthma (24, 12 and 9% vs. 32, 26 and 24%, respectively, in controls). B8 and DRw3, which showed a moderate increase in frequency in all 3 groups of asthmatics, were found in 5 of 7 patients with low atopy but persisting antibodies to A. fumigatus. Further detailed studies of these asthmatic subgroups is warranted.