hla and acetylcholine receptor antibody relationship in myastenia gravis patients

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Autoantibodies against the muscle acetylcholine receptor (AChR) play an essential role in the pathophysiology of autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG). It is believed that the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules are involved in the antibody production in MG because these molecules regulate immune responses to protein antigens by presenting antigenic peptides to CD4 helper T cells, which control the production of antibodies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between HLA haplotypes and AChR antibody in patients with myasthenia gravis. METHODS: A total of 40 (22 female, 18 male) patients with MG were enrolled onto the study and underwent HLA typing and AChR antibody levels. The mean age was 45.4±16 years. The statistical analysis was performed by χ2 test with Yates’ correction to test the presence of an association. RESULTS: The presence of AChR antibodies was significantly associated with HLA CW6 (p<0.05) and the absence of acetylcholine receptor antibodies was significantly associated with HLA B35 and HLA CW4 haplotypes (p<0.05). HLA B8 haplotype which is a part of 8.1 ancestral haplotype was more frequent in AChR antibody positive MG group but it was not statistically significant when corrected with Yates’ (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that the HLA CW6 and HLA B8 haplotypes have significant effects on AChR antibody production on myasthenia gravis patients and that further investigations with large population are required