Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-DRB1*14 Is Associated with a High Incidence of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background: Genetic background and environmental factors play an interactive role in the development of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system was noted as an important genetic factor in ALL. Material and Methods: Due to the high diversity of HLA alleles, our present study assessed the possibility of an association of HLA molecules in ALL patients living in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. HLAA, -B, and -DRB1 allele distributions in 156 ALL patients (aged 3-54 years) were analyzed and compared with unrelated healthy hematopoietic stem cell donors from the same ethnic and geographic background. Results: No significance was found at HLA-A, -B loci between the ALL group and the control group. However, a significant difference was discovered at HLA-DRB1*14 (8.65% in the ALL group versus 4.8% in the control group, pC < 0.05), with an odds ratio of 1.87 (95% confidence interval 1.26- 2.80). Conclusion: HLA-DRB1*14 may be associated with susceptibility to ALL acquisition among the Jiangsu Han population.