A study of human leucocyte antigens class 1 in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media

Chronic suppurative otitis media is usually classified into two maintypes; the first is the safe tubotympanic type with central perforation andusually not associated with cholesteatoma, the second is the unsafe attico-antral type usually associated with cholesteatoma.Longstanding inflammations of the middle ear cleft occur in a multitudeof forms due to anatomic, physiologic and bacterial factors. However animmunogenetic factor could not be excluded.The HLA system is a cluster of genes located on the short arm of thechromosome number 6 in human. It consists of HLA-A, B and C lociwhich control class I antigens. HLA-D region contains also DR, DP and DQwhich control class II antigens. Factor B and complement control Class illantigens. The HLA system is considered as a genetic marker for the immunesystem. The various mechanisms involved in the regulation of the immuneresponse of the body are under the control of the HLA system. During thelast few years, it has been found that the HLA system is deeply involved inthe susceptibility to a variety of diseases. This means that certain diseasesare associated with certain HLA antigens.Several mechanisms were postulated to explain the associationbetween HLA antigens and specific disease. The most likly are: molecularmimicry hypothesis, receptor hypothesis, modified HLA antigenshypothesis, HLA linked genes hypothesis and the immune responsegenes hypothesis.