Introduction Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is autoimmune blistering disease caused by autoan¬tibodies against keratinocyte adhesion molecules desmoglein 3 and 1. It is widely accepted that pemphigus vulgaris is HLA associated disease. Aim of the study A study of association of HLA class II alleles and haplotypes in patients with pemphigus vulgaris in Croatia was performed. Material and methods During last 24 months a study of HLA genotyping in 19 patients with PV was performed and results were compared with control group of blood donors at Croatian institute of transfusion medicine. HLA typing was performed using high resolution PCR-SSP method (Olerup-SSP, Qiagen, Germany). Results In our results we ob¬served high frequency of DRB1*0402 (AF 0.342) , DQB1*0302 (AF 0.342) and DQA1*030101 (AF 0.342). Frequency of these alleles is significantly higher than in control group (AF 0.018 ; 0.061 ; 0.245 respectively). Frequency of associated haplotype DRB1*0402-DQA1*030101-DQB1*0302 is 0.343 vs. 0.020 in control group. Conclusion In this part of the study most of patients were from central part of Croatia. In our prospective study we will also focus on patients from Mediterranean part of Croatia (patients from along a cost of Adriatic see) in which, according to available references we could expect some different HLA class II alleles.

Kliničke medicinske znanosti