Absence of association between HLA antigens and primary open angle glaucoma in Israel

HLA antigens of the A and B loci were determined in 57 Israeli patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) presenting visual field loss and in 715 normal control subjects. The glaucoma patients and control subjects were non-related and randomly selected from the Jewish Israeli population. Frequencies of HLA antigens among the POAG patients showed no differences from those observed in the control subjects. Similar results were observed for all patients as well as within subgroups of the patient population as defined by origin. Thus, the association reported between B7 and/or B12 and POAG in white and black Americans could not be confirmed in an Israeli population.