Analysis of the 8.1 ancestral MHC haplotype in severe, pneumonia-related sepsis

• Published in: Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.) Fla.), 2011-06, Vol.139 (3), p.282-289
• Main Authors: Aladzsity, István, Madách, Krisztina, Szilágyi, Ágnes, Gál, János, Pénzes, István, Prohászka, Zoltán, Fust, George
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 8.1 ancestral haplotype; Aged; Allergy and Immunology; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial sepsis; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma; Cohort Studies; COPD; DNA - chemistry; DNA - genetics; Emergency and intensive care: infection, septic shock; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Genetic Variation; Haplotypes; HLA Antigens - genetics; HLA Antigens - immunology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intensive care medicine; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pneumology; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Bacterial - blood; Pneumonia, Bacterial - genetics; Pneumonia, Bacterial - immunology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Sepsis; Sepsis - blood; Sepsis - genetics; Sepsis - immunology; Sepsis - microbiology; Septic shock
• ISSN: 1521-6616; 1521-7035
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2011.02.013

Abstract The most frequent Caucasian MHC haplotype, AH8.1 – associated with numerous immunopathological differences and certain autoimmune diseases – was recently linked to the delayed onset of bacterial colonization in cystic fibrosis. Based on this observation, we hypothesized that the carriers of AH8.1 have lower risk for a worse outcome in sepsis. AH8.1 carrier state was determined in 207 Caucasian patients with severe, pneumonia-related sepsis. Our data showed that in patients without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), septic shock – a serious consequence of the bacterial infection – occurred significantly less frequently (OR = 0.3383; 95% CI = 0.1141–0.995; p = 0.043) in carriers of AH8.1, than in non-carriers. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, this haplotype had an independent protective role against septic shock in all patients (OR = 0.315; 95% CI = 0.100–0.992; p = 0.048), particularly in COPD-free patients (OR = 0.117; 95% CI = 0.025–0.554; p = 0.007). These results indicate that AH8.1 may confer protection against the progression of bacterial infection, and this could explain, at least partially, its high frequency in the Caucasian population.