MOLECULAR-GENETIC ANALYSIS OF HLA-DRB, HLA-DQA, AND HLA-DQB POLYMORPHISMS IN HUNGARIANS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE DRB1-ASTERISK-03 ALLELE IN ADULTS AND NEWBORNS

We describe here the genetic variability of HLA-DRB1, -DQA, and -DQB i n 140 healthy individuals from Hungary, including 95 randomly selected adults and 45 newborns. Allele and haplotype frequencies as well as l inkage disequilibria were calculated. It was found that HLA-DRB111, - DQA10501, and -DQB1*0301 predominate in Hungarians. This information may be helpful in the future for HLA and disease association studies. Simultaneously, we observed that the frequency of the DRB103 allele d iffers between adults and newborns. Since it is well known that bearer s of HLA-DR3 (and/or B8) antigens may display significant changes in i mmune parameters, the lower frequency in adults indicates that childre n with the DR3 antigen are predisposed to immune diseases in adulthood .