[Extent and location of lesions in aorta and its main branches in patients with nonspecific aortoarteritis with various genotypes in the region of major histocompatibility complex].

Aim: To elucidate associations between location and extent of lesions of arterial vascular bed in patients with nonspecific aortoarteritis and presence of various alleles of DRB1 gene of HLA class II in patients of Russian ethnicity.

Material And Methods: Ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography were used for examination of arteries in 25 patients aged 22-69 years. Genotyping of HLA-DRB1 locus was carried out in all patients and in a group of practically healthy subjects of the same ethnic group (controls).

Results And Conclusion: Patients compared with controls had significantly higher frequency of class II alleles of HLA-DRB1 gene which corresponded to serological specificity DR1. Subgroup of patients carriers of DR1 allele had significantly less extensive involvement of arterial vasculature compared with subgroup of carriers of other alleles. The revealed clinical-genetic relationship reflects special features of aortoarteritis in Russian population and evidence for genetic heterogeneity of this disease.