Association of Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) profile and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Lebanese pediatric patients: A first report from Lebanon

Introduction Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is thought to result due to interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The association between it and different alleles of the HLA system has been studied over the past decades in different countries. Objective The aim of this study is to compare the frequency of HLA alleles in childhood ALL patients to the frequency in Lebanese population. Methods We compared the HLA frequency in 92 patients with childhood ALL to frequency in general Lebanese population published in previous studies. Results An increased frequency of HLA A30 (P value = 0.028), HLA B13 (P value = 0.005) and HLA CW17(P value = 0.025) in pediatric ALL patients compared to the general population was noted. No differences in HLA class II alleles were seen. Conclusion Three Class I HLA alleles (HLA A30, HLA B13 and HLA CW 17) might have a predisposing effect on childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Lebanese patients.