Study of HLA-A, B, C, DR, DQ profile of patients with established rheumatic heart disease in Kashmir.

This study included 54 unselected patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) with or without history of rheumatic fever and 224 control subjects, all Kashmiris. HLA-A19 was increased in 42.59 percent of patient population as against 23.66 percent of controls, with a relative risk of 2.39. HLA-DR4 was positive in 56 percent of patients as against 31.69 percent in controls with a relative risk of 2.74. DQ3 was also present in 72 percent of patient population as against 50.7 percent of controls. These findings suggest a genetic predisposition to rheumatic fever/RHD. More family studies are warranted.