OBJETIVO: Verificar se pacientes com glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto portadores de haplotipos HLA de classe I (HLA - A9-B12; -A2-B40; e -A1-B8) associados a essa doença poderiam ter progressão maior do que pacientes que não apresentassem esses haplotipos. Método: Avaliação anatômica e funcional de 25 pacientes (6 dos quais com um dos haplotipos associados a glaucoma), seguidos no Ambulatório de Glaucoma do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), por dez anos depois da tipificação de seus antígenos HLA, para comparação com as condições anteriores. RESULTADOS: Houve aumento maior da relação escavação/disco em pacientes com haplotipos HLA associados com predisposição para glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto, no entanto não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre esses e outros pacientes com glaucoma na progressão do dano fisiológico e nem na perda de fibras nervosas da retina. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados indicam a associação de haplotipos HLA de classe I com maior taxa de progressão das alterações anatômicas da cabeça nervo óptico em pacientes com glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To verify if patients with primary open-angle glaucoma with HLA class I haplotypes (A9-B12, A2-B40, A1-B8) associated with this disease may have a greater rate of progression than patients who do not present these haplotypes. METHODS: Anatomical and functional glaucoma evaluation (cup-to-disc ratio and visual field) of 25 patients (six of them with one of the haplotypes associated with glaucoma) followed at the Glaucoma Outpatient Clinic of the University Hospital, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, São Paulo University (HCFMRP-USP) for ten years after typing of their HLA antigens in order to compare with their previous condition. RESULTS: A greater increase of the cup-to-disc ratio was observed in patients with HLA haplotypes associated with primary open-angle glaucoma predisposition. However, no significant differences in functional damage progression or in retinal nerve fibers loss were detected between them and other patients with glaucoma. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate an association of class I HLA haplotypes with progression of anatomic alterations of the optic nerve head in glaucomatous patients.

Studies carried out in various populations have reported an association between some HLA specificities and susceptibility to tuberculosis. We investigated the class I and class II HLA profile in Brazilian patients of various ethnic backgrounds who had AIDS and tuberculosis. Twenty-two adult patients with AIDS and tuberculosis (Group I), 103 patients with AIDS without tuberculosis (Group II) and 423 healthy individuals not infected with HIV (Group III) were evaluated. Diagnosis of HIV infection was made by ELISA, confirmed by a gelatin particle agglutination test. Diagnosis of tuberculosis was made based on clinical/radiological presentation and direct bacilloscopy or clinical specimen cultures. Class I antigens were typed by microlymphotoxicity. Class II alleles were characterized by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Differences in frequency of HLA specificities between groups were found in the following antigens/alleles: Group I x Group II: HLA-A31 - p=0.026; HLA-B41 - p= 0.037; HLA-DRB1*10 - p=0.037; HLA-DQB1*5 - p=0.009. Group I x Group III (control): HLA-A31 - p = 0.000008; odds ratio (OR)=31.75; HLA-B41 - p=0.003; HLA-DQB1*5 - p=0.02. HLA-A31 and HLA-B41 antigens and the HLA-DRB1*10 and HLA-DQB1*05 alleles were over-represented in patients with AIDS and tuberculosis (Group I), suggesting that these HLA molecules are associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Brazilian patients with AIDS.