HLA & immunogenetics

Psoriasis

HLA-C*06:02

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition influenced by genetic and other factors. HLA-C*06:02 is a well-studied risk allele in the PSORS1 region and is particularly associated with earlier onset. The marker alone does not predict whether the condition will develop.

Key points

  • HLA-C*06:02 is particularly associated with early-onset psoriasis in many studies.
  • Carriers fall ill more often, but most C*06:02 carriers do not develop psoriasis.
  • Associations with disease course and treatment response have been reported; they do not provide an individual prognosis.

The PSORS1 locus

HLA-C*06:02 is among the best-studied risk alleles in the PSORS1 region. The peptides presented by the HLA molecule and their role in inflammation continue to be studied. The association describes a statistical predisposition; it does not by itself explain the condition or an individual's course.

Context

As with the other HLA associations: elevated risk, not certainty. Environment, further genes and triggers such as infections contribute. Genome shows the HLA type as technical evidence, not as a diagnosis.

What Genome measures. Whether HLA-C*06:02 is present in the HLA class I typing, as the most important genetic risk context of psoriasis.

Related topics

HLA and autoimmunityHLA typing

Sources

  1. 1Nair et al., 2006 Sequence and haplotype analysis supports HLA-C as the psoriasis susceptibility 1 gene. American Journal of Human Genetics 78:827-851. doi.org/10.1086/503821
  2. 2Chen & Tsai, 2018 HLA-Cw6 and psoriasis. British Journal of Dermatology 178:854-862. doi.org/10.1111/bjd.16083