Background: Asthma is a disease characterized by a chronic inflammation of the airways caused by the interaction of genetic susceptibility with environmental factors. Inflammation and remodeling are critical components of asthma. It is shown that many genes are involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. Aim of study: To identify/compare the association between HLA-DRB1 alleles and development of asthma in a sample of Iraqi Arab Muslims. Patients and methods: A case-control study (forty patients and forty healthy control) was carried out in Medical city Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq. The study participants were patients with asthma consulted the hospital from September - 2013 to January - 2015. HLA -DRBlgenotyping was done using a panel of sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (SSOP) using HLA-DRB1 amplification and hybridization kits (SSO HLA type DRB1 plus and Mastermix for HLA type DRB1 Amp plus kits -Innogenetics-Belgium) using automated method by AutoLipa - 48Innogenetics-Belgum. Results: There was an increased frequency of HLADRB1*03:01:01 in control group compared with patients group (P = 0.009, Odds ratio = 0.1228, 95% CI: 0.0254-0.5930). Other allele like HLA-DRB1* 070101was significantly increased in asthmatic patients in compares with control group (P = 0.005, Odds ratio = 6.641, 95% CI: 1.7319-25.4657). Conclusions: HLA alleles have an effect on development asthma in patients with HLA-DRB1*070101 while HLADRB1* 030101 may have a protective effect in Iraqi Arab Muslims individuals against development of asthma.

Background: Cholecystitis is one of the major digestive diseases. Its prevalence is particularly high in some populations. Significant risk factors associated with cholecystitis include age, sex, obesity, diet, parity and type 2 diabetes. Objective: To determine the association between HLA-DRB1 and cholecystitis. Methods: This case-control study included forty Iraqi Arab patients who had cholecystitis with multiple calculi treated by cholecystectomy admitted in the surgical ward at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital Baghdad between September -2013 to June -2014. The control group consisted of forty healthy volunteers among the staff of Al-Kindy College of Medicine. Control and cholecystitis patients groups were typed for identifying the DRB1* alleles using DNA-based methodology (PCR-SSOP). Results: There was an increased frequency of HLA-DRB1*0301 in patients with cholecystitis compared with healthy controls (p=0.0442, odd ratio=4.1111, 95% CI: 1.0372-16.2949). Conclusion: HLA-DRB1*0301, as a genetic factor, seems to have an association with cholecystitis.

A relationship exists between cerebral dominance and right or left handedness. Left-hemisphere dominance occurs in 97% of right-handed people and in 70% of left-handed people. The other 30% of left-handed individuals have anomalous or right-hemisphere dominance. Both environmental and genetic factors have been proposed to explain the human handedness. Aim of this study was to determine the effect of genetic factor of human leukocytes antigens (HLA-A) on development of left handedness. A cross-sectional case control comparative study included thirty Iraqi Arab Muslims individuals with left handedness between September -2013 to June -2014. The second control group consisted from thirty individuals with right handedness. HLA-A typing was done to both groups using SSOP method. There was no significant difference between different alleles regarding HLA-A left handed compared with the control group. Genetic factor regarding HLA-A typing had no role in development left handedness. [Med-Science 2015; 4(2.000): 2121-7]

Background: Thyroid disease is a common disease in women of the reproductive age. This disease arises due to complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors. However, the interactions between genes and environment are yet well defined. Among the main susceptibility genes that have been identified is the HLA-DQB1 gene locus. The major environmental factors include iodine, medications, infection, smoking, and possibly stress. Aim of study: To ascertain the association between HLA-DQB1 alleles and goitrous thyroid disease in a sample of Iraqi Arab Muslims. Patients and methods: A cross sectional case-control comparative study was carried out. Patients with thyroid disorders who attended this hospital in the period from September 2013 to June 2014 for thyroidectomy were studied. HLA-DQB1genotyping was done using a panel of sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (SSOP) using HLA-DQB1 amplification and hybridization kits (SSO HLA type DQB1 plus and Mastermix for HLA type DQB1 Amp plus) using automated method by AutoLipa-48. Results: There was an increased frequency of HLADQB1*03:01and 0601 in control group compared with patients group (P=0.005, Odds ratio=0.0164, 95% CI: 0.0009-0.2926) and (P=0.01, Odd ratio=0.1667, 95% CI: 0.0412 to 0.6750) respectively. Other alleles like HLA-DQB1* 0202, 03:02, 0501 and 06:02 were detected in the patients' group but not in controls. Conclusions: HLA alleles have an effect on development thyroid disease. HLADQB1* 0301 and 0601 is a protective in Iraqi Arab Muslims individuals.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by chronic inflammation of different joints in the body, which may lead to joint destruction and life disability. It is a complex disease of multifactorial etiology like genetic variation. Genetics is believed to be important in determining the susceptibility of OA. It was proven to be associated with histocompatibility locus antigen region. The aim of this study was to analyze of the frequencies of HLA-DQB1 alleles in OA Iraqi Arab Muslims. A cross-sectional case control comparative study included twenty six Iraqi Arab Muslims patients who had knee OA and admitted in the Orthopedic Department at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital between September - 2012 to June - 2013, and compared to control ethnically matched group. HLA-DRQ1 genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP) method. There was an increased frequencies of HLA-DQB1*03:01:01 in patients with OA compared with healthy controls (P=0.0171, odds ratio=7.4118, 95% CI=1.4285-38.4564); also there were an increase in the HLA-DQB1* 02:01:01, HLA-DQB1* 0305 and *04 in patients with OA compared with the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant. Our results suggest a role of the HLA DQB1*03:01:01 system in the etiopathogenesis of OA.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease. It is one of the major causes of disability in developed and developing countries. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as part of immune system has a role in the disease process.Objectives: To investigate whether there is an association between HLA class II-DRB and OA.Methods: A case control study with 26 patients with osteoarthritis and 22 apparently healthy obese control persons matching in ethnicity were enrolled in this study during the period between October 2012 till March 2013. Direct interview was done with each patient and HLA typing was done by molecular method using Sequence Specific Primer (PCR-SSP) method using One Lambda Kit-USA. Results: The results showed that females were more affected than males with disease when compared with control. Odds ratio were used to test level of significance. This study showed that HLA DR4 (DRB1*04), DR2 (DRB1*15 and DRB1*16), DR9 (DRB1*09), DR10 (DRB1*10, DRB5*, DRB4* and DRB3*) (odds ratio: 14.26, 9, 9, 9, 14.26, 9.5 and 4.5) respectively are associated with OA.Conclusions: OA is highly associated with HLA class II DR4 (DRB1*04), DR2 (DRB1*15, DRB1*16), DR9 (DRB1*09), and DR10 (DRB1*10).DR5 (DRB1*05) is not associated with OA.