Susceptibility to ovarian endometriosis in Polish population is not associated with HLA-DRB1 alleles.

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is associated with inflammatory autoimmune reactions; however, aetiopathogenesis of the disease is still poorly understood. While autoimmune disorders are often associated with particular HLA alleles, the possible involvement of HLA in the aetiopathogenesis of endometriosis is still a subject of controversy. The aim of the study was to examine the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in women with endometriosis. To ensure homogeneity of the studied group, only women with ovarian endometrial cysts were included. METHODS The study included 65 Polish patients of Caucasian origin in whom ovarian endometriosis had been confirmed by laparoscopic and histopathological examinations. HLA-DRB1 alleles were typed using a reverse slot blot method. A frequency of particular HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients was compared with that of a control group of 700 unrelated ethnically matched individuals as well as 193 age-matched women without endometriosis. RESULTS No statistically significant differences were found in the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with ovarian endometriosis as compared with control populations. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study show that ovarian endometriosis is not associated with particular HLA-DRB1 allele(s). This may suggest that aetiology of this form of endometriosis may be not primarily associated with class II HLA-mediated autoimmune reactions.