No abstract

Fifty-four (54) unrelated patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma (MKS) and 8 patients members of 4 unrelated families with familial MKS were serotyped for HLA-A,B and DR antigens. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed and all patients were negative for anti-HIV antibodies. An increased frequency of HLA-B18 (44.4% vs 14.2% in the controls, p < 0.001, RR = 4.8) and HLA-DR5 (57.6% vs 37.2% in the controls, p < 0.025, RR = 2.29) was observed in the group of patients with MKS. Seven (7) of the 8 family members with FMKS possessed HLA-DR5, and the affected members in the 3 families shared a common haplotype which included HLA-DR5. These findings support the hypothesis that genetic factors linked to HLA-DR5 antigen may contribute to the pathogenesis of MKS.

No abstract

Thirty-two Greek patients with histologically documented Kaposi's sarcoma, aged 46 to 82 years, were typed for HLA-A, B and DR antigens. None of them was homosexual and they had not been subjected to any immunosuppressive therapy. The study revealed a significant increase of HLA-DR5 (53.1% vs. 21.4%, R.R. 4.1) and a decreased frequency of HLA-DR1 (3.3% vs. 16.6%, R.R. 0.16). An increased frequency of HLA-B18 was also noted (43.7% vs. 20.7% R.R. 2.96). These results indicate that the same positive association with HLA-DR5 antigen is observed in Greek patients as in other patients of Mediterranean origin and support the view that HLA linked factor(s) may have a role in the development of the disease.

Sickle cell/,O-Thalassemia and systemic lupus erythematosus Sir-Although sickle cell disease (SCD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are two distinct chronic disorders with diverse manifestations, they also have common clinical and laboratory features.1- 9 The occurrence of SLE in SCD is extremely rate and very few cases have been reported in the literature,'-" including only one case of S//3 thalassemia.8 We describe the case of a 29-year-old woman with sickle cell/fW-thalassemia confirmed by hemoglobin DNA analysis, who was found to have concomitant manifestations of SLE.