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Associations of HLA-C Alleles With Multinodular Goiters

Associations of HLA-C Alleles With Multinodular Goiters Rios et al1 identified a statistically significant association between the HLA-Cw4 allele and multinodular goiters (15.5% vs 8.3%; P = .001; relative risk = 0.49). This finding was based on a comparison of 90 surgical patients with multinodular goiters from a single institution with a control group of 100 unrelated, healthy blood donors “representative of the healthy population.” Representativeness of the normal population would imply that just 50% of these blood donors serving as controls were female, which contrasts with the stated 92% (83/90) of female patients with multinodular goiters. As women are known to develop multinodular goiters more often than men, the excess in female patients with multinodular goiters alone may have caused a spurious significant association. A similar divide between the 2 groups may have existed with regard to patient age. The patients with multinodular goiter were aged 49±13 (mean±SD) years on average, but the age characteristics of their blood donor controls were not given. Typical blood donors are younger than 49 years and, as a consequence, may have had less time to develop multinodular goiters. We would be most grateful if the authors were willing to provide the missing information on the percentage of female blood donors and the age distribution in the control group. In the event of sex and age imbalances between the 2 groups, would the significant association between the HLA-Cw4 allele and multinodular goiters survive if sex- and age-matched blood donor controls were used? Correspondence: Dr Machens, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, D-06097 Halle (Saale), Germany (andreas.machens@aol.com). References 1. Rios ARodriguez JMMoya MR et al. Associations of HLA-C alleles with multinodular goiters. Arch Surg 2006;141123- 128PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Surgery American Medical Association

Associations of HLA-C Alleles With Multinodular Goiters

Archives of Surgery , Volume 141 (10) – Oct 1, 2006

Associations of HLA-C Alleles With Multinodular Goiters

Abstract

Rios et al1 identified a statistically significant association between the HLA-Cw4 allele and multinodular goiters (15.5% vs 8.3%; P = .001; relative risk = 0.49). This finding was based on a comparison of 90 surgical patients with multinodular goiters from a single institution with a control group of 100 unrelated, healthy blood donors “representative of the healthy population.” Representativeness of the normal population would imply that just 50% of these blood donors serving as...
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References (2)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0004-0010
eISSN
1538-3644
DOI
10.1001/archsurg.141.10.1048-a
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Rios et al1 identified a statistically significant association between the HLA-Cw4 allele and multinodular goiters (15.5% vs 8.3%; P = .001; relative risk = 0.49). This finding was based on a comparison of 90 surgical patients with multinodular goiters from a single institution with a control group of 100 unrelated, healthy blood donors “representative of the healthy population.” Representativeness of the normal population would imply that just 50% of these blood donors serving as controls were female, which contrasts with the stated 92% (83/90) of female patients with multinodular goiters. As women are known to develop multinodular goiters more often than men, the excess in female patients with multinodular goiters alone may have caused a spurious significant association. A similar divide between the 2 groups may have existed with regard to patient age. The patients with multinodular goiter were aged 49±13 (mean±SD) years on average, but the age characteristics of their blood donor controls were not given. Typical blood donors are younger than 49 years and, as a consequence, may have had less time to develop multinodular goiters. We would be most grateful if the authors were willing to provide the missing information on the percentage of female blood donors and the age distribution in the control group. In the event of sex and age imbalances between the 2 groups, would the significant association between the HLA-Cw4 allele and multinodular goiters survive if sex- and age-matched blood donor controls were used? Correspondence: Dr Machens, Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Str. 40, D-06097 Halle (Saale), Germany (andreas.machens@aol.com). References 1. Rios ARodriguez JMMoya MR et al. Associations of HLA-C alleles with multinodular goiters. Arch Surg 2006;141123- 128PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref

Journal

Archives of SurgeryAmerican Medical Association

Published: Oct 1, 2006

Keywords: alleles,goiter,hla-c antigens

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