Analysis of human leukocyte antigens class II-DR in Brazilian children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the frequency of human leukocyte antigens class II-DR in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-fiveBrazilian systemic lupus erythematosus children and adolescents and 308 healthy individuals were studied. Gender, race, and age of onset of systemic lupus erythematosus were recorded. The human leukocyte antigens typing of class II-DR was carried out by polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). Data were analyzed statistically using the chi square test with Yates' correction, Fisher's exact test, and Bonferroni's correction. RESULTS Human leukocyte antigen-DR 15 was the most frequently detected antigen in this group of children and adolescents, and it also occurred more frequently in the female group, in children with onset of systemic lupus erythematosus between 0 and 9 years and between 10 to 14 years, and in the Black race group, but these associations were not statistically significants. CONCLUSION In this group of children and adolescents with a high degree of racial admixture, we could not verify a significant association between human leukocyte antigens class II-DR and systemic lupus erythematosus.