Our objective was to characterize the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles in patients with Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) and a control population in Bogotá, Colombia. 

NMO is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a low prevalence in Latin America. International studies have found associations between the development of NMO and alleles of the HLA class II complex. However, to date, there are no studies in Colombia. 

This case-control study used blood samples to isolate and purify genomic DNA. The SSP-PCR method was employed to determine if the HLA-DRB1 or HLA-DQB1 alleles were present. AQP4-IgG and MOG-IgG seropositivity was determined using the cell-based assay technique. The study population's allele frequencies were analyzed, and differences between the groups were determined by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. 

The HLA-DRB1*16 allele could be a risk factor for the development of NMO in our population. Although it is a small cohort, these preliminary results are consistent with studies conducted in Brazil, Mexico, China, and Japan. Furthermore, it helps to build more solid literature on the genetic characterization of NMO in Latin America.