HLA-DR MT and MB antigens in Takayasu disease.

Recent studies on the pathogenesis of Takayasu disease have focussed on the participation of genetic factors, and HLA analysis has confirmed the close relationship between Takayasu disease and HLA Bw52. In an attempt to investigate the association of immune response gene with the disease, HLA-DR (DR-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -w6, -7, -w8, -w9, -w10), MT (-1, -2, -3), MB (-1, -3) antigens were studied in 52 patients with Takayasu disease and the data compared with findings in healthy Japanese. As there were no statistical differences between the two groups in the frequencies of all these antigens, genetic factors in Takayasu disease may be much more closely associated with B than with D loci.