Clinical Ophthalmology (Apr 2022)

Class II Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and Susceptibility to Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in Afro-Caribbean Descent

  • Merle H,
  • Béral L,
  • Rocher M,
  • Pierre M,
  • Jean-Charles A,
  • Béra O,
  • Rosamont LA,
  • Robert PY,
  • Lézin A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 16
pp. 1047 – 1053

Abstract

Read online

Harold Merle,1 Laurence Béral,2 Maxime Rocher,3 Mitta Pierre,1 Albert Jean-Charles,1 Odile Béra,4 Laurie-Anne Rosamont,4 Pierre-Yves Robert,3 Agnes Lézin4 1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, French West Indies, France; 2Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Guadeloupe, Pointe à Pitre, French West Indies, France; 3Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Limoges, France; 4Department of Genetics, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort de France, French West Indies, FranceCorrespondence: Harold Merle, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Martinique, Hôpital Pierre Zobda Quitman, BP 632, Martinique, Fort de France, 97261 Cedex, French West Indies, France, Tel +596 596 552 251, Fax +596 596 758 447, Email [email protected]: To evaluate how the HLA genotype is associated to the polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in a population of patients of Afro-Caribbean descent.Methods: Forty-seven patients were diagnosed with PCV. The number of control patients was 457. All affected patients and control patients were of Afro-Caribbean descent and natives to Martinique. HLA typing was based on blood sample, using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Comparison of HLA alleles between the 2 groups was done using chi-2 test, odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval using Woolf’s method. The Bonferroni correction was considered significant when p-value ≤ 0.05. Alleles frequency was analyzed for DRB1 and DQB1 locus.Results: HLA-DRB1*13 allele was significantly associated to PCV (OR = 2.02, CI = [1.3; 3.13], p = 0.003). In group DRB1, the Bonferroni correction significance threshold was < 0.004. HLA-DQB1*04 allele was significantly associated to PCV (OR = 3.5, CI = [1.48; 8.3], p = 0.006). In group DQB1, the Bonferroni correction significance threshold was < 0.006.Conclusion: Two HLA alleles are positively associated to PCV. The possible association between PCV and certain alleles suggest HLA implication in PCV pathogeny, most likely by modeling the immune system response.Keywords: polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, major histocompatibility complex, human leucocyte antigen, genetic predisposition

Keywords