Diversity of HLA Class I and II Genes in the North Indian Population

Introduction: Numerous studies have concentrated on specific populations to explore the extensive polymorphism of class I and II HLA genes. This genetic diversity is crucial for various applications, such as advancing transplantation immunology, understanding genetic population patterns, and uncovering the pathways of different diseases. Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine and analyse the frequencies of class I (HLA-A, HLA-B and, HLA-C), and class II (HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQB1) genes in the North Indian population. Material and Methods: To achieve the objective of the study, buccal swab samples from 3,648 individuals were collected. All these samples were subsequently tested for the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQB1 genes using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) typing method and typing result were analyzed to estimate class I and II allele frequencies. Results: In the present study, we have identified 16 different variants of HLA-A genes, 28 variants of HLA-B genes, 13 variations of HLA-C genes, 14 variants of HLA-DRB1 genes, and 6 variants of HLA-DQB1 genes. Furthermore, HLA-A*11, HLA-B*35, HLA-C*07, HLA-DRB1*15, and DQB1*06 were observed to be the most frequent alleles within the studied population. Discussion: The findings of the studied population highlights the variability exhibited by the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DQB1 genes in the North Indian population. Additionally, this also highlights the importance of testing and understanding the prevalence of these specific HLA genes in these populations, which has a greater relevance in both hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplantation as well as disease association studies.