The HLA system is being paid more and more attention because it is very significant in polymorphous immunological reactions. Several studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility to rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is linked to HLA class II alleles. We hypothesized that HLA class II associations within RHD may be more consistent if analysed amongst patients with a relatively homogeneous clinical outcome. A total of 70 RF patients under the age of 18 years were surveyed and analysed in Latvia. HLA genotyping of DQA1, DQB1 and DRB1 was performed using PCR with amplification with sequence-specific primers. We also used results from a previous study of DQB1 and DRB1 genotyping. In the RF patients, HLA class II DQA1*0401 was found more frequently compared to DQA1*0102. In the RF homogeneous patient groups, DQA1*0402 has the highest odds ratio. This is also the case in the multivalvular lesion (MVL) group, together with DQA1*0501 and DQA1*0301. In the chorea minor patients, DQA1*0201 was often found. Significant HLA DQA1 protective genotypes were not detected, although DQA1 genotypes

The 270-kb chromosome 14q13.2-14q13 region harboring the proteasomal alpha subunit 6 gene PSMA6 was analyzed for polymorphism of five microsatellite repeats in cases/controls and association with Graves' disease. Four novel microsatellite markers were localized to the 14q13.2 region upstream of PSMA6. Dinucleotide repeats HSMS801, HSMS702, HSMS701 were identified in two introns of the gene KIAA0391; the most upstream trinucleotide HSMS602 marker was found in an intron of the C14orf24 gene. A polymorphism study performed on the Latvian population revealed 13 and 14 alleles for HSMS801 and HSMS702, respectively, seven alleles for HSMS701, and four alleles for HSMS602. Heterozygosity analysis revealed that all the four markers obey Hardy-Weinberg distribution. The previously described HSMS006 marker, represented by 12 alleles, is localized in intron 6 of the PSMA6 gene. No significant differences were observed between patients and controls in allele distribution of the HSMS702 and HSMS701 microsatellite repeats. However, the allele frequencies of HSMS006 and HSMS801 were significantly different between Graves' disease and control subjects. The 181- and 185-bp alleles of HSMS006 and the 133-, 143-, and 149-bp alleles of HSMS801 were found more often, but the 189- and 191-bp alleles of HSMS006 were much less frequent in Graves' disease patients compared with the controls. An additional 174-bp allele of the HSMS602 marker, absent in healthy subjects, was found in Graves' disease patients.

Summary. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HCV (hepatitis C virus) infection in hemophilia patients in

AVR = aortal valve regurgitation; MVL = multivalvular lesion; MVR = mitral valve regurgitation; OR = odds ratio; PCR-SSP = polymerase chain reaction with amplification with sequence-specific primers; PCR = polymerase chain reaction; RF = rheumatic fever; RHD = rheumatic heart disease. (Print ISSN 1478-6354; Online ISSN 1478-6362). This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL. Arthritis Research & Therapy AbstractGenetic control of immune reactions has a major role in the development of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and differs between patients with rheumatic fever (RF). Some authors think the risk of acquiring RHD is associated with the HLA class II DR and DQ loci, but other views exist, due to the various HLA-typing methods and ways of grouping cases. Our goal was to determine the relations between HLA class II alleles and risk of or protection from RF in patients with relatively homogeneous clinical manifestations. A total of 70 RF patients under the age of 18 years were surveyed in Latvia. HLA genotyping of DRB1*01 to DRB1*18 and DQB1*0201-202, *0301-305, *0401-402, *0501-504, and *0601-608 was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers. Data for a control group of 100 healthy individuals typed for HLA by the same method were available from the databank of the Immunology Institute of Latvia. Of the RF patients, 47 had RHD and 8 had Sydenham's chorea.