Genetic control of progressive autonomic failure: evidence for an association with an HLA antigen

In 16 patients with progressive autonomic failure, a rare disease of unknown cause, the frequency of the HLA antigen Aw32 was 13 times more common than in healthy controls, giving a relative risk of progressive autonomic failure with Aw32 of 28.7. Such genetic predisposition to the disease might cause a defect of catecholamine metabolism In the brain or possibly affect the immune response to a virus.