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Low frequency of the disease‐associated DRB1*15‐DQB1*06 haplotype may contribute to the low prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Sami

2007; Wiley; Volume: 69; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1399-0039.2007.00803.x

1399-0039

Hanne F. Harbo, Egil Utsi, Åslaug Rudjord Lorentzen, Margitta T. Kampman, Elisabeth Gulowsen Celius, K.‐M. Myhr, Benedicte A. Lie, Svein Ivar Mellgren, Erik Thorsby,

T-cell and B-cell Immunology

This study confirms a low frequency of multiple sclerosis (MS) among Sami. Only 12 Sami with a diagnosis of MS were identified in the Norwegian Sami population, which represents a significantly lower prevalence of MS in Sami (30/10(5)) compared with other Norwegians (73-164/10(5)). The clinical characteristics as well as the results of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 and -DQB1 typing of the Sami MS patients are reported, showing that three (27%) of the Sami MS patients carried the MS-associated HLA-DRB1*15-DQB1*06 haplotype. Interestingly, the DRB1*15-DQB1*06 haplotype had a significantly reduced frequency among Sami controls (0.086) compared with non-Sami Norwegian controls (0.163) (P(corrected) = 0.015). The low frequency of the disease-associated DRB1*15-DQB1*06 haplotype in the Sami population may contribute to the low prevalence of MS in Sami, in addition to other yet unidentified genetic and environmental factors.