Objectives: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of polymorphisms in HLA class II genes in coronary artery ectasia (CAE) patients.
Methods and results: Twenty-six patients with CAE without associated cardiac defects were enrolled in the study. CAE was defined as luminal dilation of 1.5- to 2.0-fold of normal limits. Ninety-five healthy subjects who were donors for different organ transplantations, were chosen as control group. Physical examination, electrocardiography and chest X-ray were completely normal in these cases. Both the patients and the control group were screened and compared for their HLA class II genotypes. HLA-DR B1*13, DR16, DQ2 and DQ5 genotypes were significantly more frequent in the patient group. When the known risk factors of coronary heart disease were compared in the patients carrying these genotypes with the non-carrying group, no significant differences were encountered.
Conclusions: HLA-DR B1*13, DR16, DQ2 and DQ5 may be associated with the pathogenesis and increase the risk of CAE.