Distribution of hla-dqb1 alleles in a sample of Iraqi pulmonary tuberculosis patients

Studies carried out in various populations have reported an association between some HLA specificities and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). In this study, the distribution of class II HLA-DQB1 alleles was determined in 94 PTB patients and 80 apparently healthy subjects from Iraqi population by single specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR). Out of the five encountered HLA-DQB1 alleles, DQB1*03 showed a significant (P = 0.005) increased percentage frequency in PTB patients compared to controls (71.3 vs. 50.0%). The RR of such positive association was 2.48; while the EF was 0.43. The present study suggests that HLA-DQB1*03 allele may be associated with susceptibility to PTB in Iraqi population.