Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
High-throughput Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR Assay for Determining Expression Profiles of Types I and III Interferon Subtypes
Published on: March 24, 2015
Influence of the HLA-DRB1 genotype on antibody development to interferon beta in multiple sclerosis
Dorothea Buck1, Sabine Cepok, Steve Hoffmann
1Department of Neurology, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Objective:
To determine relevant HLA-DRB1 alleles associated with the susceptibility of anti-interferon beta antibody development in a large patient cohort.
Design:
In a case-control study, HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed in a discovery cohort (n = 268) and a validation cohort (n = 825).
Setting:
Patients were recruited in Germany by primary care physicians and neurologists and were mainly of Northern European heritage.
Patients:
All patients had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and were receiving long-term interferon beta therapy.
Main Outcome Measures:
The antibody status to interferon beta was determined in all patients by capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in vivo myxovirus protein A assay and correlated with the HLA-DRB1 genotype.
Results:
In the discovery and validation cohorts, HLA-DRB1*04:01, *04:08, *16:01 were identified as genetic markers that are associated with an increased risk of anti-interferon beta antibody development (P < .05). In addition, alleles with a protective potential were identified, including HLA-DRB1*03:01, *04:04, *11:04. However, after correction for multiple testing, protective alleles did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion:
The HLA alleles identified in this study seem to be the major genetic determinant of antibody development, allowing the prediction of the individual risk of patients before initiation of therapy.
