HLA antigens and keratoconus

Significant associations have been found between the HLA antigens or haplotypes and certain diseases and deficiencies. These associations have opened up new areas of clinical investigation. In man, associations have been shown between the presence of Hodgkin's Disease and a number of cross-reacting HLA types (BW5, BW15, BW18), between systemic Lupus erythematosus and HLA type BW15 in Caucasians and BW35 in blacks, between HLA B37 and ankylosing spondylitis in Caucasians, between HLA B8 and gluten-sensitive enteropathy and between HLA B13 and psoriasis, a disease having a strong hereditary element. In ophthalmology, Shin and Becker have shown that the prevalence of HLA B7 and B12 antigens was significantly higher in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma than in the non-glaucomatous population. The purpose of this communication is to report the presence of HLA B27 antigen in the mother and two siblings with keratoconus.