HLA Phenotype Frequencies in Individuals with Cleft Lip and/or Cleft Palate

Abstract

The HLA types of 133 patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate were determined. Caucasian patients with isolated cleft palate showed a possible association with HLA. Ten of 11 male patients had HLA-A2 as compared to 1 out of 8 female patients (P < 0.005). Caucasian males with cleft lip and cleft palate had a slight increased frequency of HLA-Aw24 (P = 0.97) and Mexican-American males with cleft lip and/or cleft palate showed an increase of antigen HLA-A28 (P = 0.07), though neither were statistically significant. Females with cleft lip and/or cleft palate from either racial group had no differences from the controls. The serum from 90 mothers of patients with cleft lip and/or cleft palate were reacted against their child''s lymphocytes. Of these crossmatch tests, 12% were positive. Male patients with isolated cleft palate should be studied with respect to HLA associations.