Association Analysis Between HLA-DQA1 Loci and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder in a Han Chinese Population

Genome-wide association studies for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have established an association between HLA-DQ alpha 1 (DQA1) and risk for NMOSD. Though ethnicity is generally considered a major influencing factor in genetic analyses, little is known regarding the association of HLA-DQA1 polymorphisms with NMOSD in the Han population, especially the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at HLA-DQA1. METHODS: We genotyped SNP at loci rs28383224 in a case-control study consisting of 137 subjects (51 patients with NMOSD and 86 unrelated controls were recruited) of Han ethnicity. Logistic regression was used to test the association of SNP with NMOSD susceptibility, the sex and age were adjusted, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS: The rs28383224 polymorphism and susceptibility to NMOSD were not statistically associated (P>0.05) in the Han population in the current study. No significant difference was found in allelic frequencies or genotypic distributions among different subsets of NMOSD patients (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: In the current study, there is no evidence that polymorphism of rs28383224 in the HLA-DQA1 gene is associated with the risk of NMOSD in the Han Chinese population.