[Relation of HLA antigens to prognosis in Hodgkin's disease]

The prognostic value of HLA antigens in Hodgkin's disease was assessed by multivariate regression analyses. A significantly adverse prognostic impact for achieving complete remission by primary treatment and for its persistence was proved in four antigens locus B (B18, B5, B27 and B15). Five-year survival without signs of the disease, i.e. survival without relapse is significantly lower in subjects with antigen B5, as compared with the group of patients where the antigen was not detected (42% vs. 58%, p = 0.05). An independent prognostic impact of the selected HLA antigens was confirmed in models incl. also formerly tested risk factors for the relapse of Hodgkin's disease.