HLA-DQB1 and autoimmune disease: Previous genetic association studies have shown that HLA-DQB1 and its polymorphisms and allelic variation play an important role in donor-recipient matching in transplantation [1, 2, 7] and may be associated with autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), celiac disease [8], viral infections [9], hepatitis C [10], hepatitis B, cirrhosis [11], ovarian cancer, breast cancer cases with ataxia [12], and childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome [13].