HLA‐DQA1, DQB1 and DPB1 alleles on HLA‐DQ2‐ and DQ9‐carrying extended haplotypes

DQA1, DQB1 and DPB1 alleles were investigated in a large panel of samples carrying HLA-DQ2- and HLA-DQ9-bearing extended haplotypes. Every instance of the [HLA-B8, SCO1, DR3, DQ2a] and [HLA-B18, F1C30, DR3, DQ2b] extended haplotypes carried the DQA1*0501 allele, while every instance of [HLA-B44, FC31, DR7, DQ2c], [HLA-B47, FC91,0, DR7, DQ2c] and [HLA-B57, SC61, DR7, DQ2d] carried the DQA1*0201 allele. All HLA-DR3, DQ2 and HLA-DR7, DQ2 extended haplotypes carried the DQB1*0201 allele. Every example of [HLA-B57, SC61, DR7, DQ9] carried the DQB1*0303 allele. Several associations between the DPB1 alleles and some HLA-DQ2- and DQ9-carrying extended haplotypes were identified. HLA-DPw2-encoding alleles, DPB1*0202 (50%, p < 0.001) and 0201 (30%), were found on the [HLA-B18, F1C30, DR3, DQ2b] extended haplotype. Every instance of the [HLA-B57, SC61, DR7, DQ9] extended haplotype carried the DPB1*0401 allele. Also, we have confirmed the associations of the DPB1*0101 and DPB1*0401 alleles with the [HLA-B8, SC01, DR3, DQ2a] extended haplotype. The analysis of homozygous typing cells carrying the [HLA-B44, FC31, DR7, DQ2c] extended haplotype showed that the DPB1*0401 and 0201 alleles were present at similar frequencies (37.5%), while the DPB1*1101 allele was found in only 25% of these haplotypes analyzed. Our results suggest that the constancy of the DNA of the HLA-B, DR, DQ regions may extend to the DP region and that the extent of such fixity varies, perhaps as the result of ethnic variability of the population studied.