Cystic fibrosis: a HLA associated hereditary disease?.

Twelve homozygote patients and thirty-two heterozygote gene carriers from families with cystic 
fibrosis were HLA-typed. Diagnostic criteria were sweat electrolyte concentration, pancreatic enzyme 
levels from duodenal juice and stool, Szczepanski's bromide test in the 
group of homozygotes, and the latter only in the cases of 
heterozygotes. In comparison with 130 healthy blood donors typed for 29 
HLA antigens. B18 proved to be more frequent in the group 
of patients and gene carriers, with 50 and 31%, respectively, and 
14% in the normal population. The association seems to be stronger 
in the homozygotes than in the heterozygotes (p less than 0.02, 
respectively). 