Abstract: Objective To investigate the association between vitiligo and HLA classⅠ antigens in the Northern Han Chinese. Methods Ninety-five patients with vitiligo and 100 normal controls were tested for HLA-A,B antigens by standard microcytotoxicity assay. Results ① It was found that HLA-A2,A10,A30+31,B13,B15 antigen frequencies were significantly higher in vitiligo patients than those in the controls, while HLA-A28,B46 antigen frequencies were markedly lower in vitiligo patients (Pc< 0.01).② There was a significant association of HLA-A10,B13,B15 with familial vitiligo patients, whereas non-familial patients were associated with HLA-A2,A30+31,B13,B15, B40 (Pc< 0.01). When familial patients were compared with non-familial patients, HLA-B13 was different in frequency between the two groups (Pc< 0.05).③ HLA-A10,A30+31,B13 and B15 were significantly increased in the scattered type of vitiligo while HLA-A2,A30+31,B13,B15 and B40 were significantly increased in the localized type. HLA-B13 was significantly increased in the acral type of vitiligo while HLA-A30+31,B13 were significantly increased in the segmental type. Conclusions The results indicate that vitiligo is positively associated with HLA-A2, A10, A30+31, B13, B15 and negatively associated with HLA-A28, B46. There is a significant difference of HLA-Ⅰ antigens in familial patients, non-familial patients and different clinical types of vitiligo. These findings support the hypothesis of an immunogenetic mechanism in the pathogenesis of vitiligo. There is a immunogenetic background in patients with vitiligo in the Northern Han Chinese.

Key words: Vitiligo, Histocompatibility antigens classⅠ