Frequencies of HLA Alleles in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic and Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the potential correlation between human leukocyte antigens (HLA) - specifically, HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQB1 genes - and patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Material and Methods: We conducted an analysis of HLA allele frequencies among 393 patients with ALL, 431 patients with AML, and a control group comprising 564 healthy donors. Additionally, we explored the variation in HLA allele distribution between pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with ALL. Results: In comparison to the donor group, a heightened frequency of HLA-A*32 antigen was observed in AML patients (p=0.015, OR: 1.682). Conversely, the frequencies of HLA-B*55 (p=0.027, OR: 0.545) in ALL patients, HLA-B*14 (p=0.023, OR: 0.397), and HLA-B*55 (p=0.04, OR: 0.604) in AML patients were notably diminished. Notably, there were no discernible differences in HLA Class II allele frequency and analysis between the patient and control groups. Moreover, a significant distinction in the frequencies of HLA-A*25 (p=0.019, OR: 8.426) and DRB1*04 (p=0.049, OR: 1.491) was identified between pediatric patients (n=165) and adult patients (n=228) with ALL. Conclusion: The findings indicate that HLA-A*32 might serve as a genetic predisposing factor for AML, and HLA-A*25 and DRB1*04 could be potential genetic risk factors for pediatric ALL patients. Conversely, HLA-B*55 appears to be a potential protective factor against both forms of acute leukemia.