Analysis of HLA-A*03 in Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Khuzestan Province, Iran

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is known as chronic inflammatory causes demyelination and results in neurodegenerative disease in central nervous system (CNS), which is known with progressive disability. MS is accepted and is a multifactorial disorder that is a result of genetic and environmental factors interaction. The set of genes coding for MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecules exert the effect on disease development. HLA-A*03 (HLA-A3) is one of HLA class I alleles, which is associated with MS. Objectives: Our goal is to survey the frequency of this allele in MS patients from the Khuzestan province. Methods: HLA-A*03 alleles association was investigated in 200 MS patients in the province of Khuzestan then compared with 195 healthy controls. HLA-typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with SSP-PCR method. Results: Frequency of HLA-A*03 was significant among MS patients (47% vs. 26%, P < 0.001). There was no significant correlation among this allele and sex, course of disease, initial symptoms, and expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that HLA-A*03 allele has a significant association with MS, which is in line with other studies, and also confirmed that the presence of this allele could increase the risk of MS. Furthermore, positive association between the HLAA* 03 allele and the Arab population in the province of Khuzestan was found. CIS patients followed up for three years demonstrated that all patients were converted to RRMS.