HLA IN FAMILIAL AND NONFAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN KAPOSIS-SARCOMA IN GREECE

Fifty-four (54) unrelated patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma (MKS) and 8 patients members of 4 unrelated families with familial MKS were serotyped for HLA-A,B and DR antigens. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed and all patients were negative for anti-HN antibodies. An increased frequency of HLA-B18 (44.4% vs 14.2% in the controls, p<0.001, RR=4.8) and HLA-DRS (57.6% vs 37.2% in the controls, p<0.025, RR=2.29) was observed in the group of patients with MKS. Seven (7) of the 8 family members with FMKS possessed HLA-DR5, and the affected members in the 3 families shared a common haplotype which included HLA-DRS. These findings support the hypothesis that genetic factors linked to HLA-DRS antigen may contribute to the pathogenesis of MKS.