title: HLA-E polymorphisms in an Afro-descendant Southern Brazilian population.
abstract: HLA-E is a non-classical I (Ib) gene which has limited polymorphism and low levels of tissue expression. Currently, 11 alleles are described in the literature with only three protein products. In the present study we investigated HLA-E gene variations at exons 2 and 3 and calculated allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies in a sample of 152 individuals who reported themselves as being Afro-descendants and who are voluntary bone marrow donors living in the state of Paraná, Brazil. The most frequent allele in the sample analyzed was the E(∗)01:01 (59.21%). The presence of the E(∗)01:04 allele was not detected suggesting that it has a very low worldwide frequency or that this allele may be an artifact of sequencing. We reported the most frequent alleles found as well as genotypes and haplotypes and compared our results with the few other studies found in the literature. This study is the first to investigate Afro-descendants from the South of Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carvalho dos Santos
authors.forename: Luciane Viater
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Tureck
authors.forename: Pryscilla Fanini
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Wowk
authors.forename: Sibelle Botogosque
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mattar
authors.forename: Georgia Fernanda
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gelmini
authors.forename: João Carlos Marques
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Maria da Graça
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Bicalho
authors.forename: Valéria Maria Munhoz Sperandio
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Roxo
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics*; D001938:Brazil; D005091:Exons; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens