Lisa M. James Author

Research Article Open Access

Human Leukocyte Antigen DRB1*13:02 Protects Against Dementia

Author(s):

Lisa M. James

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) class II genes play a
critical role in immune protection from foreign antigens.
Recent evidence documents protective effects of the
HLA DRB1*13:02 allele, in particular, against age-related
brain atrophy and neural network deterioration, suggesting
a possible protection against dementia. Here we
utilized a genetic epidemiological approach to investigate
the association of DRB1*13:02 frequency and dementia
prevalence globally. Results demonstrated that the prevalence
of dementia decreases exponentially with increasing
frequency of DRB1*13:02, even when adjusted for
the prevalence of apolipoprotein E4 allele, a known risk
factor for Alzheimer’s disease. This finding docu... view more»

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