HLA class I and II alleles and response to treatment with interferon-beta in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

In the present study, we investigated the influence of HLA class I and class II genes in the response to interferon-beta (IFNβ) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 DNA typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) in a cohort of 149 relapsing–remitting MS patients classified into IFNβ responders (n = 74) and non-responders (n = 75) based on stringent clinical criteria. Distribution of HLA class I and class II alleles individually and the HLA-DR2 haplotype was similar between responders and non-responders to treatment. These findings do not support a role of the HLA class I and class II genes as modifiers of the response to IFNβ.