HLA antigens in syphilis patients in Tuvinian population
have examined 133 healthy donors, 41 syphilis patients with symptoms, and 45 patients with early latent syphilis. All the examined persons were grouped by class I HLA antigens using the standard microlymphocytotoxic test. In syphilis patients, as compared to healthy persons, the frequency of HLA antigens A3, B17, and B40 was increased, while the frequency of B5 was decreased. In syphilis patients with symptoms, HLA antigens A3, B7, B17, B40 and HLA haplotypes A3B17, A3B40, A9B7 were observed with increased frequency. At the same time, in patients with early latent syphilis, HLA antigens A1, Cw3, B8, B17 and HLA haplotypes AB17, A9B8 were observed with increased frequency, while HLA antigen B5 occurred with decreased frequency. The influence of HLA antigens on occurrence of different forms of syphilis is discussed.