An original Eurasian haplotype, HLA-DRB1*14:54-DQB1*05:03, influences the susceptibility to idiopathic achalasia

PLoS One. 2018 Aug 9;13(8):e0201676. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201676. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Idiopathic achalasia is a relatively infrequent esophageal motor disorder for which major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are well-identified risk factors. However, no information about HLA-achalasia susceptibility in Mexicans has previously been reported. We studied a group of 91 patients diagnosed with achalasia and 234 healthy controls with Mexican admixed ancestry. HLA alleles and conserved extended haplotypes were analyzed using high-resolution HLA typing based on Sanger and next-generation sequencing technologies. Admixture estimates were determined using HLA-B and short tandem repeats. Results were analyzed by non-parametric statistical analysis and Bonferroni correction. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Patients with achalasia had 56.7% Native American genes, 24.7% European genes, 16.5% African genes and 2.0% Asian genes, which was comparable with the estimates in the controls. Significant increases in the frequencies of alleles DRB1*14:54 and DQB1*05:03 and the extended haplotypes DRB1*14:54-DQB1*05:03 and DRB1*11:01-DQB1*03:01, even after Bonferroni correction (pC<0.05), were found in the achalasia group compared to those in the controls. Concluding, the HLA class II alleles HLA-DRB1*14:54:01 and DQB1*05:03:01 and the extended haplotype are risk factors for achalasia in mixed-ancestry Mexican individuals. These results also suggest that the HLA-DRB1*14:54-DQB1*05:03 haplotype was introduced by admixture with European and/or Asian populations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Esophageal Achalasia / epidemiology
  • Esophageal Achalasia / genetics*
  • Ethnicity / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genetics, Population*
  • HLA-DQ beta-Chains / genetics*
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / genetics*
  • Haplotypes*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • HLA-DQ beta-Chains
  • HLA-DQB1 antigen
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains

Grants and funding

Author receiving grant: JFC. Funding institution: Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (Mexico). Grant number: SALUD-2014-1-233760. Funder website: https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.