Frequency of HLA-DRB1 in Iraqi Patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Background: Genetic backgrounds play an important role in susceptibility to and protection against Guillain Barré Syndrome. Certain human leukocyte antigens have been found to be associated with Guillain Barré Syndrome.
Aim of Study: This study aimed to study the relationship between the susceptibility of HLA Class II "DRBI" allele's frequencies in a sample of Iraqi's patients with Guillain Barré Syndrome compared with a healthy control group using PCR-SSOP method.
Patients and Methods: Thirty consecutive Iraqi Arab Muslim patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome admitted in the Neurological Department in neurosciences Hospital between September-2012 to June-2013 were assessed for HLA genotyping for HLADRB1. A control group consisted from thirty healthy volunteers among the staff of Al-Kindy College of Medicine that did not have any neurological disorders whether recent or previously and had negative family history for this diseases or other neurological disorders. HLA genotyping for HLADRB1 was performed for each patient and for the control persons using the PCR with sequence-specific oligoneucleotide primers. Allele frequencies were compared across groups.
Results: There was a significant higher rate of DRB1*03:01 frequencies in patients with GBS compared with healthy controls (p=0.007, Odds ratio=5.687, 95% CI: 1.59-20.33)
Conclusions: HLA-DRB1*03:01 may have association with susceptibility to Guillain-Barre syndrome.