title: HLA-DR2-associated DRB1 and DRB5 alleles and haplotypes in Koreans.
abstract: There are considerable racial differences in the distribution of HLA-DR2-associated DRB1 and DRB5 alleles and the characteristics of linkage disequilibrium between these alleles. In this study, the frequencies of DR2-associated DRB1 and DRB5 alleles and related haplotypes were analyzed in 186 DR2-positive individuals out of 800 normal Koreans registered for unrelated bone marrow donors. HLA class I antigen typing was performed by the serological method and DRB1 and DRB5 genotyping by the PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism method. Only 3 alleles were detected for DR2-associated DRB1 and DRB5 genes, respectively: DRB1(*)1501 (gene frequency 8.0%), (*)1502 (3.2%), (*)1602 (0.9%); DRB5(*)0101 (8.0%), (*)0102 (3.2%), and (*)0202 (0.9%). DRB1-DRB5 haplotype analysis showed an exclusive association between these alleles: DRB1*1501-DRB5*0101 (haplotype frequency 8.0%), DRB1(*)1502-DRB5(*)0102 (3.2%), and DRB1(*)1602-DRB5(*)0202 (0.9%). The 5 most common DR2-associated A-B-DRB1 haplotypes occurring at frequencies of > or = 0.5% were A24-B52-DRB1(*)1502 (1.8%), A2-B62-DRB1(*)1501, A2-B54-DRB1(*)1501, A26-B61-DRB1(*)1501, and A24-B51-DRB1(*)1501. The remarkable homogeneity in the haplotypic associations between DR2-associated DRB1 and DRB5 alleles in Koreans would be advantageous for organ transplantation compared with other ethnic groups showing considerable heterogeneity in the distribution of DRB1-DRB5 haplotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059847:HLA-DRB5 Chains; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D059811:HLA-DRB1 Chains; D059847:HLA-DRB5 Chains