MHC Disease Research Group

Principal Investigator

Marja-Liisa Lokki, Docent
Head of the HLA Laboratory Transplantation Laboratory
Room: B430
Tel. +358 2941 26614
Fax +358 9 2411 227
maisa.lokki (at) helsinki.fi

Senior Scientists

Juha Sinisalo, MD, PhD (HUCH, Department of Cardiology)
Mikko Seppänen, MD, PhD (HUCH, Department of Infectious Diseases)
Markku Nieminen, Professor (HUCH, Department of Cardiology)
Ville Valtonen, Professor (HUCH, Department of Infectious Diseases)

Postdoctoral Fellows

Anil Palikhe, MD, PhD

Graduate Students

Riitta Paakkanen, MD
Annika Wennerström, MSc
Elisa Lahtela, MSc
Marja Marchesani, MSc
Efthymia Vlachopoulou, BSc
Johanna Nokelainen, BM
Petri Järventausta, MD

Technicians

Minna Veini
Kaisa Roine
Lauri Snellman

HaartBio Associates

Pia Mustakangas, BSc
Tel. +358 2941 26650

Laboratories: B414, B416, C412
Offices: B430, B431, B426, C412
Tel: (laboratories) +358 2941 26737, +358 2941 26757

Collaborators (Chairs)

Asko Järvinen, MD, PhD (HUCH, Department of Infectious Diseases)
Jari Suvilehto, MD, PhD (Docrates Hospital)
Markus Perola, MD, PhD, Prof. (Institute for Molecular medicine Finland and National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki)
Anne Pietinalho, MD, PhD (HUCH, Peijas)
Pirkko Pussinen, MD, PhD (Helsinki University, Institute of Dentistry)
Risto Renkonen, MD, PhD, Prof. (Helsinki University, Transplantation Laboratory)
Olli Ruuskanen, MD, PhD, Prof. (The Turku University Hospital, Department of Paediatrics)
Olof Selroos, MD, PhD, Prof.
Timo Tervo, MD, PhD, Prof. (HUCH, Eye and Ear Hospital)
Juha Holopainen, MD, PhD (HUCH, Eye and Ear Hospital)
Olli Vapalahti MD, PhD, Prof. (Helsinki University, Department of Virology)

Research Interests

The MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) region contains approximately 250 genes of which approximately 40% are connected with the composition and regulation of immune response. The MHC genes are the most polymorphic of the human genome. They function in protection against infectious micro-organisms but are also responsible of prolonged inflammatory reactions predisposing tissues to various diseases. The range of MHC- associated diseases is wide. Classical HLA genes are the main histocompatibility determinants assessed in transplantations.

The goal of our research is to study the role of the MHC genes in various diseases, mostly having inflammatory backgrounds, like severe and recurrent infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, and some malignancies. The projects are carried in collaboration with clinicians mostly at the Helsinki University Central Hospital and researchers at Haartman Institute, National Institute for Health and Welfare and Biomedicum Helsinki.

Main Publications

Vaara S, Nieminen MS, Lokki ML, Perola M, Pussinen PJ, Allonen J, Parkkonen O, Sinisalo J. Cohort Profile: The Corogene study. Int J Epidemiol. 2011 Jun 3.

Ripatti S, Tikkanen E, Orho-Melander M, Havulinna AS, Silander K, Sharma A, Guiducci C, Perola M, Jula A, Sinisalo J, Lokki ML, Nieminen MS, Melander O, Salomaa V, Peltonen L, Kathiresan S. A multilocus genetic risk score for coronary heart disease: case-control and prospective cohort analyses. Lancet. 2010 Oct 23;376(9750):1393-400

Speliotes EK, et al. Association analyses of 249,796 individuals reveal 18 new loci associated with body mass index. Nat Genet. 2010 Nov;42(11):937-48.

Heid IM, et al. Meta-analysis identifies 13 new loci associated with waist-hip ratio and reveals sexual dimorphism in the genetic basis of fat distribution. Nat Genet. 2010 Nov;42(11):949-60. Lango Allen H, et al. Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height. Nature. 2010 Oct 14;467(7317):832-8.

Kallio-Laine K, Seppänen M, Aittoniemi J, Kautiainen H, Seppälä I, Valtonen V, Färkkilä M, Kalso E, Lokki ML. HLA-DRB1*01 allele and low plasma immunoglobulin G1 concentration may predispose to herpes-associated recurrent lymphocytic meningitis. Hum Immunol. 2010 Feb;71(2):179-81.

Palikhe A, Sinisalo J, Seppänen M, Valtonen V, Nieminen MS & Lokki M-L. Human MHC region harbors both susceptibility and protective haplotypes for coronary artery disease. Tissue Antigens 2007 69: 47-55.

Seppänen M, Suvilehto J, Lokki M-L, Järvinen A, Jarva H, Seppälä I, Vehmanen P, Notkola I-L, Tahkokallio O, Malmberg H, Meri S & Valtonen V. Immunoglobulins and complement factor C4 in adult rhinosinusitis. Clin Exp Immunol 2006 145: 219-227.

HaartBio Ltd is the company owned by the University of Helsinki providing HLA diagnostics to the Health Care customers.