HLA of SLE patients& HC data

We explored the association between HLA-B and HLA-DR genetic polymorphisms and clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Yunnan Han patients in China. Data was collected from 116 Han patients from Yunnan province who were admitted to the Rheumatology and Immunology department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between September 2015 and September 2017. All patients were diagnosed with SLE according to the 2009 American College of Rheumatology criteria. Routine blood and urine tests, 24 hour urine protein quantification, complement level, autoantibodies, cytokines, lymphocytes, and SLE disease activity were recorded. Healthy Yunnan Han people (n = 118) were included as healthy controls (HCs). PCR was used to detect HLA-B and HLA-DR genotypes in patients and HCs, and allele and haplotype frequencies were compared and the correlation between susceptibility genes and SLE clinical features was explored. Thirty-four alleles were detected at the HLA-DR locus. The frequencies of the HLA-DRB1*08:03 and B*13:01 alleles were significantly higher in patients with SLE than in HCs (P = 0.012 and P = 0.040, for DRB1*08:03 and B*13:01, respectively). Conversely, 24 hour urine protein was significantly lower in the HLA-DRB1*08:03 positive group than in the HLA-DRB1*08:03 negative group (1.93 ± 2.830 vs. 3.55 ± 4.556, P = 0.03). HLA-DRB1*11:01 allele frequency was significantly lower in patients with SLE than in HCs (0.44 % vs. 4.66%, P = 0.006, OR 0.091, 95% CI: 0.012–0.710). Fifty-three alleles were detected at the HLA-B locus. The B*46:01 allele frequency was significantly lower in patients with SLE than in HCs (P = 0.041). The frequency of HLA-B/DR haplotype B*13:01/DR*15:01 was higher in patients with SLE than in HCs, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.05). Our results indicate that, in patients of Han ethnicity in Yunnan province in China, SLE is related to the HLA-DRB1*08:03 and HLA-B*13:01 alleles, and that alleles HLA-DRB1*11:01 and HLA-B*46: 01 may play a protective role. Additionally, HLA-DRB1*08:03 may be related to SLE with renal involvement. However, the incidence of SLE is related to certain HLA gene combinations. Those alleles may be considered genetic markers of SLE susceptibility in Yunnan Han patients.The research protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Province, PR China (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00703742).