Although there was great genotypic variety in the Brazilian population, the results of the present study confirm the significant participation of HLA-DR2 (DRB1*16) and DQA1 in susceptibility to leprosy per se, and the participation of HLA-DRB1*04 in protection and of DRB1*08 in susceptibility to the severe form of the disease (lepromatous leprosy). Here, HLA-DRB1 is linked to leprosy.