Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer is an important disease that is seen all over the world and that threats public health. At the same time, gastric cancer is a heterogeneous disorder with multifactorial etiologies. Recent studies have shown a significant association between HLA antigens and gastric adenocarcinoma. The aim of the present study was to determine the distribution of HLA class I (HLA-A, B and C) and class II (HLA-DR, DQ and DP) antigens in Turkish patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HLA alleles or HLA haplotypes associated with gastric cancer were established in the Turkish population using PSR-SSP analysis in 71 unrelated patients with gastric cancer and in 82 unrelated healthy controls. The statistical significance of differences in allele frequencies between patients and controls was measured by the Chi-square test with Yates's correction. RESULTS: The study revealed that the HLA-Cw5 antigen is more prevalent in patients with gastric cancer (p=0.042) and that the HLA-DRB1*15 antigen is more prevelent in the control group (p=0.021). CONCLUSION: It is probable that HLA-Cw5 is a risk factor for gastric cancer whereas HLA-DRB1*15 plays a protective role for this disease. The results show that different loci on HLA may control resistance to or tendency for any disease in different societies; each society should determine its own tissue group.