Association of HLA alleles and haplotypes with vitiligo in Moroccan patients: a case-control study

The aim of this study was to identify HLA class II alleles that may be involved in vitiligo genetic susceptibility in the Moroccan population and to determine susceptible and protective HLA alleles/haplotypes in vitiligo. One-hundred unrelated vitiligo patients and 300 healthy unrelated controls were studied for HLA class II alleles by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primers. The phenotypic frequency of DRB1*07 (OR = 2.23, p c = 0.014) was significantly higher, while that of DRB1*03 (OR = 0.40, p c = 0.014) was significantly lower in patients than in controls. Haplotype DRB1*07-DQB1*02 (OR = 2.25, p c = 0.024) was positively associated with vitiligo patients, while haplotype DRB1*03-DQB1*02 (OR = 0.35, p c = 0.012) was negatively associated with this group. Vitiligo patients with positive family history and negative anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO) have an extremely high phenotype frequency of DRB1*07-DQB1*02 haplotype (OR = 2.91, p c = 0.048 and OR = 2.62, p c = 0.00475, respectively). DRB1*03-DQB1*02 (OR = 0.32, p c = 0.048 and OR = 0.38, p c = 0.048, respectively) was negatively associated with patients without a family history and negative anti-TPO. This study demonstrated the positive association of HLA class II alleles and haplotypes with vitiligo in the Moroccan population. There may be differences in HLA haplotypes distribution in patients according to family history and anti-TPO profile.