[HLA-DRB and -DQB allele contribution to narcolepsy susceptibility in Chinese patients with narcolepsy].

OBJECTIVES

To study the association of narcolepsy with HLA class II alleles in Chinese narcoleptic patients.

METHODS

31 patients with narcolepsy underwent brain computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing. All patients received a MSLT test following a routine night's sleep, and serological HLA typing for HLA DR(2). 21 patients received PCR-SSP HLA DR and DQ typing.

RESULTS

All patients had sleepiness and cataplexy. There was no evidence for other functional or structural diseases. Sleep paralysis was elicited in 45%; hypnagogic hallucinations, in 61%. Mean sleep latency on MSLT was 2.1 min +/- 1.3 min; sleep-onset rapid eye movement (SOREM) occurred during 2/5 naps in 30 of 31 patients. The average number and latency of SOREM episodes were 4.2 +/- 1.0 episodes and 4.0 min +/- 1.8 min, respectively. All patients but one were HLA DR(2) positive and 86% were HLADRB(1) * 1501-HLADQB(1)*0602 positive.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA DR(2) and HLADQw6 are markers for narcolepsy-cataplexy in Chinese.