Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and human leukocyte antigen variants

ABSTRACT Background and aim The obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common, complex and polygenic disease and it has high risk of serious complications. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system plays a crucial role in the regulation of immune function by discriminating self from non-self. In recent years there has been rapid advancement in “Next Generation Sequencing” technology. It enables the detection of HLA alleles in four or even six digits, providing a high level of precision. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic variants at HLA-A,-B,-C,-DQB1 and -DRB1 loci in OSA patients and unrelated healthy individuals by targeted NGS in the Turkish population. Materials methods Fifty newly diagnosed patients with OSA and 50 control subjects were enrolled in the study. OSA diagnosis was made by utilizing the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥5 in overnight polysomnography (PSG). Blood samples were obtained in the morning, after PSG. Controls were randomly selected from healthy volunteers who had a low risk for OSA. Genotyping of HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 genes were performed by using next generation sequencing. Results HLA-A*02:01, HLA-C*03:03:01, HLA-C*14:03, HLA DRB1*04:05 alleles were found more frequently in OSA patients, but not in the controls (p=0.036, p=0.007, p=0.043 and 0.013, respectively). The allele frequencies of HLA-A*03:01 and HLA-B*35:02 were significantly higher in controls compared to OSA patients (p=0.024 and p=0.043). Conclusion These results suggest that HLA-A*02:01, HLA-C*03:03:01, HLA-C*14:03, HLA DRB1*04:05 alleles may play a predisposing role in the Turkish population with OSA. In addition, HLA-A*03:01 and HLA-B*35:02 alleles may be protective in this population.