The Association between Human Leukocyte Antigens and Hypertensive End-Stage Renal Failure among Yemeni Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Many studies have attempted to locate a connection between various genetic factors and the pathogenesis of certain diseases. A number of these have found human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) to be the most significant genetic factors affecting the susceptibility of an individual to a certain disease. The present case-control study aimed to determine the connection between class I and class II HLAs and cases of hypertensive end-stage renal failure (HESRF), as contrasted with healthy controls, in Yemen.

METHODS: The study was carried out between March 2013 and March 2014 and included 50 HESRF patients attending the Urology & Nephrology Center at Al-Thawra University Hospital in Sana'a, Yemen, and 50 healthy controls visiting the same centre for kidney donation. Among both patients and controls, HLA class I (A, B and C) and class II (DRB1) genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reactions.

RESULTS: There was an association (odds ratio: 4.0) with HLA-A9(24) and HESRF, although this was not statistically significant. A significant protective function was found for the HLA-CW3 and DRB1-8 genes against the development of HESRF. Although HLA-B14 was present in some patients (0.06) and not in the controls, this difference was not statistically significant enough to conclude that HLA-B14 plays a role in the genetic predisposition for end-stage renal disease development. There was a high frequency of HLA-A2, B5, CW6, DRB1-3, DRB1-4 and DRB1-13 in both patients and controls.

CONCLUSION: Although no HLAs were found to play a highly significant role in genetic predisposition to HESRF, certain HLA genes could be considered as protective genes against HESRF development.