Do specific HLA antigens predispose to ischaemic heart disease or idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy?

BACKGROUND: The aetiology of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is believed to have an immunological component. Association with human leucocyte antigens (HLAs) has been previously reported, particularly with HLA-DR4. AIM: To determine the association of HLA type with diagnosis in a group of patients assessed for heart transplantation. METHODS: A comparison was made of frequencies of HLA types in patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or (n = 98) ischaemic heart disease (n = 170) and in controls from the North Western region (n = 857). RESULTS: Neither the patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy nor those with ischaemic heart disease showed a significant increase or decrease in any HLA frequency compared with the controls. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is no HLA association with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy or ischaemic heart disease. This conflicts with the results of some previous studies.