Abstract
Association of HLA antigens with certain diseases provide insights into genetically determined susceptibility to disease. Although nephrotic syndrome is one of the commonest diseases, it is poorly understood. A group of 57 patients suffering from a minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome (33 patients) and mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (24 patients) was studied for immunologic markers. The incidence of HLA-A w 24 is significantly greater in the minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome patients than in controls (18.7% in patients, 0% in controls, p<0.01). This report fails to show a high incidence of specific HLA antigen in mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis patients. We believe that the high incidence of HLA-Aw 24 in minimal lesion nephrotic syndrome is indicative of a congenital predisposition to nephrotic syndrome.