Salient features and HLA markers of childhood psoriasis in Kuwait.

A total of 305 consecutive Kuwaiti children with psoriasis were studied for clinical features and 50 children were tissue typed for HLA class I and class II antigens. The salient features of psoriasis in these children included: female preponderance (M : F ratio, 1:1.5); peak age of onset between 2 and 8 years; scalp as the most common site of onset (30%); scalp and extensors of legs as commonly affected sites (52.5% each); plaque psoriasis the most common clinical type (89%); and a positive family history of psoriasis in 34% of the patients. Kuwaiti children with psoriasis showed a significant association with HLA-A3, Cw1, and DR7 antigens and those with a positive family history of psoriasis had a significant association with HLA-DR8 antigen.