Distribution of HLA-DQB1 alleles in patients with Kleine-Levin syndrome

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia, cognitive or behavior disturbances, compulsive eating behavior, and hypersexuality. The etiology of KLS remains unknown even though its clinical symptoms suggest an underlying autoimmune process. In this study, we analyzed the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing alleles in Taiwanese patients with KLS using the polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific priming technique. We report that an immunoresponsive HLA-DQB1, DQB10602, was detected in significant quantities in patients with KLS (three of 12, p = 0.046) and could elevate the risk of KLS (odds ratio, 1.143; 95% confidence interval, 0.0982-1.329). In conclusion, an identification of genomic susceptibility to KLS will be helpful in determining the immunospecific targeted therapies for patients with KLS.