Possible associations between HLA antigens and the immune responsiveness to attenuated rubella vaccine

We investigated the possible associations between HLA antigens and the antibody response patterns during a clinical trial with a live attenuated rubella vaccine in 172 Japanese schoolgirls. Those vaccine recipients were divided into three groups, 42 low responders, 102 intermediate responders and 28 high responders, according to convalescent-phase hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titers. High frequencies of HLA--A11 and HLA--B15 in high responders and HLA--Aw24 and HLA--B5 in low responders were found. Among HLA--A antigens HLA--A11 had the highest geometric mean HI antibody titer and HLA--Aw24 had the lowest. Among HLA--B antigens HLA--B15 had the highest and HLA--B5 had the lowest. Strong linkage disequilibrium was found between HLA--A11 and HLA--B15 in high responders and between HLA--Aw24 and HLA--B5 in low responders. These results suggest that there may be a relationship between HLA antigens and specific immune response genes in man as well as in other vertebrates.