Blood group and Human Leucocyte Antigen sub-type as determinants to keloid formation and Recurrence in Keloid Patients; A prospective longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

The role of genetic factors in keloid is a firmed by the fact that keloids have been shown to occur among members of the same family.. We undertook this study to determine whether there is any association between patients’ bloodgroup and HLA sub-types to keloids and keloid recurrence. This was a prospective longitudinal study of patients with keloids and a control of patients managed for other surgical conditions with no keloids. Blood was taken from each patient and analysed for blood group and HLA sub-types using the sequence specific primer geno-typing. Data captured were summarized and analysed using students T-test to compare means. Probability values significance was at 0.05. A total of 90 patients with keloids and 59 in a control group were followed up in the study. The male to female ratio of the patients was 2:1. The most common blood group for both groups was blood group O at 51.3% and 49.2%, followed by blood group A and B respectively. Patients with keloids had a significantly higher positive alleles with DQA*01, DQB1*05, DQB1*06 and DRB1*15. There was an association between blood group A and DQB1*06 and recurrence. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that there is significant difference in HLA sub-types among patients who form keloids and the non-keloid forming patients among our study cohorts. Salient differences were also noted in patients with keloid recurrence based on their blood group, a pointer to the significance of genetic factors in keloid pathogenesis and severity.