HIGH-FREQUENCY OF HLA-A-ASTERISK-0207 SUBTYPE IN CHINESE POPULATION

Background: HLA-A2 is the most polymorphic and most common HLA phenoty pe found in various ethnic populations. Seventeen HLA-A2 subtypes have been reported and characterized by molecular techniques. Differences among these subtypes are limited to a few amino acids. Among them, HLA -A0201 is the predominant subtype among whites. The results of a rece nt study, however, suggest that the HLA-A0207 subtype may be present at a high frequency in the Chinese population. Study Design and Method s: To determine the exact frequency of the HLA-A0207 subtype in the C hinese population, genomic DNA samples obtained from 54 HLA-A2-positiv e Chinese in Taiwan were studied by using sequence-specific primers an d polymerase chain reaction. Results: HLA-A0207 was present in 56 per cent of the studied subjects. The estimated gene frequency for HLA-A0 207 is 17.8 percent in the Chinese population. Conclusion: HLA-A0207 is the most common HLA-A2 subtype among Chinese. The high frequency of the HLA-A0207 allele in this population offers a unique opportunity to study the ways in which different HLA-A2 subtypes may influence the clinical outcome of allograft transplantation and the disease suscept ibility of recipients.