HLA class I and class II polymorphism in mitral chordae tendineae rupture

Objective: Mitral chordae tendinea rupture (MCTR) is a progressive condition which frequently results in severe mitral regurgitation. Several studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility to various valvular heart diseases is linked to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the significance of polymorphisms in HLA class I and class II genes in patients with MCTR. Design: Prospective study Setting: Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey Subjects: Twenty-one patients with primary MCTR and 147 age and sex matched controls were enrolled in the study. Interventions: Five milliliters of fasting venous blood obtained from each participant and stored in ethylenediaminetetraacetate tubes Main outcome measure: HLA alleles were analyzed using sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing. Results: Compared to the control group, patients with MCTR had an increased frequency of HLA-A2, HLA-A3, HLA-A24, HLA B-7, HLA B35, HLA-DR4, HLA-DR7 and HLA-DR15 alleles. Furthermore, an independent association was found between MCTR and of HLA-A3, HLA-A24, HLA-B35 and HLA-DR4 haplotypes. Conclusion: The current study is the first to describe distinct HLA allele frequency in patients with MCTR. Further studies including a greater number of patients are needed to examine the causal effects of HLA on MCTR.