Increased frequency of HLA-DRB115 in patients with multifocal motor neuropathy

The favorable response to treatment with IV immunoglobulins and the presence of IgM antibodies to the glycolipid GM1 are indications that inflammation underlies multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) pathogenesis. We investigated the association of MMN with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II antigens. HLA class I and II antigens of 74 Dutch patients with MMN and 700 controls were determined in a case-control study. Associations of HLA types with MMN disease characteristics were investigated. Compared with controls, patients with MMN had higher frequencies of HLA-DRB1*15 (41 vs 24%, p = 0.0017). Disease characteristics were not associated with specific HLA types. Similar associations were found in patients with multiple sclerosis and women with chronic immune-mediated demyelinating neuropathy, which may suggest that these demyelinating disorders share pathogenic mechanisms.