Activating KIR and HLA Bw4 ligands are associated to decreased susceptibility to pemphigus foliaceus, an autoimmune blistering skin disease.

ABSTRACT: The KIR genes and their HLA class I ligands have thus far not been investigated in pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and related autoimmune diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris. We genotyped 233 patients and 204 controls for KIR by PCR-SSP. HLA typing was performed by LABType SSO reagent kits. We estimated the odds ratio, 95% confidence interval and performed logistic regression analyses to test the hypothesis that KIR genes and their known ligands influence susceptibility to PF. We found significant negative association between activating genes and PF. The activating KIR genes may have an overlapping effect in the PF susceptibility and the presence of more than three activating genes was protective (OR=0.49, p=0.003). A strong protective association was found for higher ratios activating/inhibitor

SUBMITTER: Augusto DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3388041 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature