Analysis the Association of HLA Antigen with Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers

The involvement of an immunopathological mechanism has been reported in the pathogenesis of Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers (RAU). In this case, Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) has been known to play a role in the regulation of the immune responses. Objective: In this preliminary study we examined the association of HLA class I antigens with RAU in 52 Indonesian patients (25 patients with a minor type of RAU and 27 control subjects), which represent a relatively homogenous population. Methods: We included in the group under study only patients who have periodic ulcers, with no less than three recurrences appearing during 1-year period. To determine the healthy controls we used questioners to define if they have no history of RAU. Typing for HLA-A, B, and C antigens were performed by using the standard NIH micro lymphocytotoxicity technique. Results: Our results revealed a close association between HLA-A-9 and RAU subjects (p<0.05; RR=4.3) with 80% of RAU patients and 48.15% of the control bearing this A-9 antigen. By comparing the RAU patients and healthy controls, our data showed that the frequency of some class I-HLA alleles significantly increased (20% versus 0% for HLA-A1, B-12 and B-7) in RAU-affected persons (p < 0.05) though the relative risk (RR) was not able to be determined. In contrast, the presence of HLA-A11 has been shown to protect against the development of RAU (44% of control and 16% of RAU, p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that HLA antigens are involved in the susceptibility to RAU.