Human leukocyte antigens and adult acute myeloid leukemia: A first report from Lebanon

Abstract

Introduction: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) represents the most common type of acute leukemia in adults and the second most common form of leukemia in general. AML has been associated with HLA alleles and these correlations have been widely investigated worldwide. Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the antigen frequency of HLA Class I (HLA-A, HLA[sbnd]B, and HLA[sbnd]C) and Class II (HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1) among AML Lebanese adult patients. Methods: This is a retrospective study reviewing all the HLA results of 121 adult patients admitted to the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) from January 2017 to May 2022. Comparison of HLA frequency in AML patients to frequency in general Lebanese population published in previous studies was done. Results: In HLA class I, an increased frequency of HLA-A*03 (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.37; P = 0.02), HLA-A*25 (OR, 6.69; 95% CI, 1.78 to 25.07; P = 0.01), HLA-A*74 (OR, 8.33; 95% CI, 1.67 to 41.51; P = 0.02) was found in the AML group, whereas decreased frequency of HLA-B*15 (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.93; P = 0.03) was noted. In HLA class II, DRB1*03 (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.50; P < 0.001) was higher among the control group and DRB1*12 (OR, 15.71; 95% CI, 1.88 to 131.20; P = 0.01) among the AML group. Conclusion: Findings revealed that three class I HLA antigens are predisposing to AML (HLA-A*03; HLA-A*25; HLA-A*74) and one class I HLA antigen is protective (HLA-B*15). Regarding class II HLA antigens, DRB1*03 was found to be protective whereas DRB1*12 was found to be predisposing to AML. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.