HLA-DQB1 and DRB1 alleles in Egyptian children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome

Steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) of children has been associated with several HLA-DR and DQ alleles. To investigate this association in Egyptian children, 27 patients with SSNS were typed for HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles using DNA polymerase chain-reverse hybridization technique. The results were compared with 121 healthy subjects for HLA-DRB1 and 59 subjects for DQB1 alleles. We found that: (1) patients have higher frequencies of both DQB1 ^* 0601 (81.5% vs. 10.2% in controls, Pc = 0.0001) and DRB1 ^* 01 (44.4% vs. 3.3% in controls, Pc = 0.00003). Their relative risks are significantly high [38.9, confidence interval (CI) = 10.7–140.7, and 23.4, CI=6.7–81.9, respectively]; (2) the frequency of DRB1 ^* 11 alleles was low in SSNS patients (3.75% vs. 32.2% in controls), but was not significant when P was corrected (P = 0.005, Pc = NS). These findings suggest that DQB1 ^* 0601 and DRB1 ^* 01 or closely associated unknown genes confer susceptibility to SSNS. However, further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed. Received June 27, 1997; received in revised form October 23, 1997; accepted October 26, 1997