Familial hairy cell leukemia: a HLA-linked disease or farmers-linked disease?

Abstract

In the 16 cases of familial HCL published, different HLA have been found. Although specific HLA antigens were found to have the same structure in some cases that suggests a genetic predisposition to HCL. Environmental factors, specifically farming labours, were implicated in too. We add two cases (father and son, both farmers), Their HLA haplotype has not been described, but the type A2Bw4Bw6 and Bw6, presented in father and/or son, have been.