Psoriasis

Clinical information

HLA-C*06 alleles are the genetic basis for the predisposition to autoimmune reactions manifesting as psoriasis. Genome-wide association studies have confirmed that of all gene sites HLA-C shows the highest association with psoriasis and that HLA-C*06 can be considered as by far the most powerful genetic marker for the disease. In chronic inflammatory skin diseases the determination of HLA-C*06 is therefore of great significance for differential diagnostics. Around 83 % of patients with type 1 psoriasis vulgaris carry the HLA-C*06 allele, whereas the proportion of HLA-Cw6-positive patients is only 44 % in type 2 patients. Type 1 psoriasis vulgaris has a more severe course than type 2 psoriasis vulgaris. Furthermore, the HLA-C*06 allele also occurs more frequently in psoriatic arthritis, which is why detection of this allele can also be an aid in the diagnosis of this disease.

Diagnostics

The EUROArray HLA-Cw6 Direct has been specifically designed for the determination of HLA-C*06 alleles and is therefore particularly easy to perform compared to other molecular biological methods for the detection of HLA-C*06. With the unique direct procedure, the DNA no longer needs to be isolated. The whole-blood sample is treated with two extraction reagents and can then be used directly in the PCR. The PCR primers were chosen and optimised so that all relevant HLA-C*06 subtypes are detected reliably.