{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T11:25:57Z","timestamp":1788780357414,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]],"date-time":"2025-06-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749772800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CIMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that leads to inflammation and demyelination, manifesting in either a relapsing\u2013remitting or progressive form. As a multifactorial disease, MS involves both genetic and environmental factors, with a known significant contribution from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, mainly represented by the HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 loci, which have been linked to either susceptibility or protection, but variably across populations and ethnic groups. We aimed to study the distribution and polymorphism of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 alleles in a population with MS from the southern Moroccan region, in comparison with healthy controls. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 2 years (2022\u20132024) in a MS cohort including 40 patients and 100 healthy controls. DRB1 and DQB1 HLA genotyping was performed using a high-resolution reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) method, based on the Luminex system (xMAP technology, One lambda\u00ae). Data were analyzed using SPSS 26; differences in allele frequencies were evaluated by the Chi-square test and Fisher\u2019s exact test. OR (95% CI) was calculated, and FDR corrections were applied for multiple testing. Results: Among the various HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles studied, including those considered as predisposing to MS, the DQB1*02:01 and DRB1*15:01 alleles were more prevalent in MS patients, with 40% and 8.8% vs. 16% and 4.08% in controls respectively, although these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.06 and p = 0.12). Likewise, the DRB1*15:01-DQB1*06:02 association was significantly more prevalent in the MS group (9%, p = 0.004). In contrast, the DRB1*07:01 allele, linked to protection against MS in many populations, was significantly predominant in controls (17%, p = 0.004). Similarly, the DRB1*07:01\u2013DQB*02:01 combination was rather more frequent in controls (12%, p = 0.01). Confronted to MS clinical forms, we remarkably noted that the DRB1*13:03 allele was found only among relapsing\u2013remitting MS (RRMS) patients (6%, p = 0.003), while DQB1*02:01 was significantly associated with RRMS (42.1%) and primary progressive MS (41%, p = 0.001), with an intermediate Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, which may indicate a possible link with disease progression and severity. Conclusions: The results of our study highlighted particular HLA alleles, DRB1 and DQB1, alone or in combination, as potential immunogenic factors of susceptibility to MS in a population from southern Morocco, while other alleles seem rather to protect against the disease. This HLA polymorphism is also reflected in the clinical forms of the disease, showing a tendency toward severity for certain alleles. However, such preliminary results need to be consolidated and confirmed by studies carried out on a larger population sample, and compared with others on a national scale.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cimb47060458","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]],"date-time":"2025-06-13T06:19:28Z","timestamp":1749795568000},"page":"458","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 Allelic Polymorphism and Multiple Sclerosis in a Moroccan Population"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"47","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0783-1344","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abir","family":"Fguirouche","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology and HLA, Center of Clinical Research, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"},{"name":"Biosciences Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6496-3613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yahya","family":"Naji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Hospital of Agadir, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir 80060, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3963-1366","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Morad","family":"Guennouni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Science and Technology Team, Higher School of Education and Training, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida 24000, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raja","family":"Hazime","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology and HLA, Center of Clinical Research, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"},{"name":"Biosciences Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Safa","family":"Zahlane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed","family":"Chraa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Najib","family":"Kissani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nissrine","family":"Louhab","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neurology Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3255-8220","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brahim","family":"Admou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology and HLA, Center of Clinical Research, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"},{"name":"Biosciences Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40080, Morocco"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"2055217319881775","article-title":"Multiple sclerosis and human leukocyte antigen genotypes: Focus on the Middle East and North Africa region","volume":"6","author":"Maghbooli","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mult. 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