[HLA DRB1*, DQB1*, DPA1*, and DPB1* and their association with the pathogenesis of leukemia in the population of Venezuela].

Background: The HLA complex involved is a factor in the pathogenesis of leukemia.

Objectives: The presence of class II HLA alleles DRB1 *, DQB1 *, DPA1 *, and DPB1 * was evaluated in 47 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 48 with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) for comparison with 48 healthy volunteers in Zulia, Venezuela, and to evaluate potential associations of HLA with leukemia.

Methods: Low- and high-resolution PCR-SSP was used for class II HLA regions DRB1 *, DQB1 *, DPA1 *, and DPB1 * following the instructions of KIT Olerup SSP Genovision.

[Autoreactive TCD8+ lymphocytes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in association with HLA and adenovirus infection].

Background: A possible interaction between a specific HLA type and Adenovirus has been postulated as a promoter in leukemia clonal evolution. The HLA-DRB1*14, specifically DRB1*14:21, 14:22, 14:45, 14:26, 14:33, 14:51, 14:35 subtypes was the most frequent in CML Venezuelan patients.

Objectives: It is interesting to evaluate the molecular mimicry between the Adenovirus and the DRB1*14 subtypes which exhibit the same change in the amino acid position of the DR53 epitope.

HLA-B27 subtypes determination in patients with ankylosing spondylitis from Zulia, Venezuela.

To perform an investigation regarding the distribution of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 subtypes in the Zulian population with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 48 unrelated Mestizos, HLA-B27 positive by serology, were studied using the polymerase chain reaction-specific sequence oligonucleotides probe (PCR-SSOP) and specific sequence primers (SSP) to analyze the polymorphism in exons 2 and 3 of the HLA-B27 gene. Only two of eight HLA-B27 subtypes studied (B*2701-B*2708) were found. The distribution of these alleles in the population of patients was: B*2705, 68.