Association of HLA haplotype with keloids in Chinese Hans

Keloids are common abnormal raised fibroproliferative lesions that can occur following even minor cutaneous trauma. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms have shown strong association with susceptibility to keloids with different ethnic backgrounds. In this study, the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primer method was used to analyze the distribution of HLA haplotype in 192 patients with keloids and 252 healthy control individuals. Controls were matched by gender, age, and race. We compared haplotype between the two groups, and analyzed their association with keloids. The haplotype analysis revealed that three new two-locus haplotypes including B*07-DQB1*0501, B*07-DRB1*15, DQB1*0503-DRB1*15 (P<0.05) were associated with keloids, while two extended haplotypes B*07-Cw*0802-DQB1*0501 (P=0.0063) and Cw*0802-DQB1*0501-DRB1*15 (P=0.0121) were found to be related to keloids. This is the first detailed report to elucidate HLA haplotypes associated with keloids. Our results provide some information for future research on predisposing genes in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) regions in Chinese patients with keloids. In addition, the association of certain HLA haplotypes with susceptibility to keloids would provide clues in choosing proper preventive strategies.