HLA typing in patients of Eales disease.

Objective: To determine any predisposition of haplotypes with Eales disease.

Design: A case control study.

Place And Duration Of Study: This study was started in February 2002 and data collected till April 2003 at Eye Department of Military Hospital, Rawalpindi.

Patients And Methods: The frequency of HLA antigens both class-I and II by complement dependent standard lymphocytotoxicity test was studied in 32 patients of Eales disease (group-I) and 32 age and gender matched normal persons as controls (group-II). Both patients and controls underwent complete ocular and clinical examination and were followed up for one year.

Results: Mean age was 30.8 years. HLA DR3 was found in 20 patients of group-I and none in group-II. HLA types A1, B8, B5 (51) and DR 15 (2) were found in 12 out of 32 patients of eales disease and none in controls. HLA DQ2 and DR52 was found in 28 cases of group-I as compared to 18 cases of group-II (p = .005).

Conclusion: HLA phenotypes HLA DR3, A1, B8, B5 (51) and DR 15 (2) occurred in majority of cases of Eales disease, whereas these were not found in controls which was statistically significant. Similarly, HLA DQ2, DR52 and Bw6 was found in higher frequency in Eales patients and thus strongly associated with it. We conclude that certain HLA haplotypes have a possible predilection for Eales disease.