HLA-DRB1*03 and HLA-DRB1*04 alleles in patients infected with dengue virus in Burkina Faso

Dengue fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. It is a major public health issue in tropical and subtropical areas. In West Africa, the most prevalent dengue virus (DENV) serotypes are DENV-1 and DENV-2, which are responsible for the majority of epidemics on the continent. In addition to environmental factors, genetics, including HLA class II alleles, could influence susceptibility or protection against disease.

This study aimed to characterize HLA-DRB1*03 and HLA-DRB1*04 alleles in dengue patients, exploring their association with susceptibility or protection against disease in Burkina Faso.

Case-control analysis performed in Ouagadougou, with typing of HLA-DRB1*03 and HLA-DRB1*04 alleles by SSP-PCR, followed by an analysis of allele frequencies and statistical associations, reveals that frequencies of HLA-DRB1*03; HLA-DRB1*04 were respectively 85.48% and 51.62% in dengue patients (case) whereas in the control group their freuencies were respectively 96.83% and 44.44%. Statistical analysis showed a significant association between the carriage of the HLA-DRB1*03 allele and the occurrence of dengue fever (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.01-1.00; p = 0.029). In contrast, no significant association was found with HLA-DRB1*04 (p = 0.533). No significant differences were observed by sex or progression to secondary dengue.

These results highlight the importance of the HLA-DRB1*03 allele, it's carriage of this allele could be associated with a decrease in the odds of dengue occurrence, suggesting a potential protective, paving the way for future investigations into the involvement of HLA alleles in dengue immunity.