Abstract
PURPOSE: To investigate the association of HLA class II alleles with pars planitis.
METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 28 patients with pars planitis seen in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Barnes Retina Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
RESULTS: HLA-DR15, one of the allelic subtypes of HLA-DR2, was present in 18 (64.3%) of 28 patients vs. 10 (20%) of 50 controls (OR = 7.20, CI = 2.28–23.20,
P = .0001). HLA-DR51 (HLA-DRB 5) was present in 16 (57.1%) of 28 patients vs. 6 (12%) of 50 controls (OR = 9.78, CI = 2.79–36.42,
P = .0001). HLA-DR17 was present in eight (28.6%) of 28 patients vs. one (2%) of 50 controls (OR = 19.60, CI = 2.29–886.7,
P = .0001).
CONCLUSION: Pars planitis is associated with an increased frequency of the HLA-DR2 suballele, -DR15, HLA-DR51, and HLA-DR17. These results suggest an immunogenic predisposition exists to pars planitis.