2 . 2025

Catalogue of common and well-documented HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 alleles in the Russian population

Abstract

Introduction. Catalogues of common and well-documented HLA alleles are widely used as indicator for ambiguities to be resolved or for checking the universality of any HLA allele in the world. Information about the distribution of HLA alleles in different populations is important, since foreign donors are often involved in unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The aim of the study was to establish a catalogue of common and well-documented HLA alleles in the Russian population and compare data with the EFI-CWD catalogue.

Material and methods. The study involved 10 795 potential bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cells donors with self-identification as the Russians, who were typed for the genes HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 with high resolution by the NGS. 5273 donors were recruited in Nizhny Novgorod and the Nizhny Novgorod region; 2577 donors – in Moscow and the Moscow region; 1968 donors – in other regions of the Central Federal District, 977 donors – in different regions of Russia, not included in any of the three above-mentioned samples. HLA alleles are classified as common (detected at least 3 times in each of the first three samples); well-documented alleles (detected five times, or detected three times in unrelated donors sharing a haplotype), and rare.

Results. The first catalogue of common and well-documented HLA alleles of the Russians was established. Of the 412 HLA alleles identified, 101 were common, 90 % of the common alleles in the Russians are shared with the common alleles in EFI-CWD. Some common alleles in the Russians were rare in EFI-CWD, and some common alleles in EFI-CWD were rare in the Russians. So, EFI-CWD catalog cannot be used as a surrogate for the Russian population, although the Russians are HLA-genetically close to other European populations.

Conclusion. Only 90 % of common and 76 % of common and well-documented alleles in the Russian population are shared with those in the EFI-CWD catalogue, which indicates the need to have our own catalog of common and well-documented HLA alleles in the Russians.

Keywords: HLA alleles; common; well-documented; NGS

For citation: Khamaganova E.G., Kuzminova E.P., Leonov E.A., Khizhinsky S.P., Gaponova T.V., Parovichnikova E.N. Catalogue of common and well-documented HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 alleles in the Russian population. Immunologiya. 2025; 46 (2): 150–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33029/1816-2134-2025-46-2-150-160 (in Russian)

Funding. The study had no sponsor support.

Conflict of interests. The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Authors’ contribution. Concept and design of the study – Khamaganova E.G.; HLA-typing of the samples – Kuzminova E.P., Leonov E.A., Khizhinsky S.P.; statistical processing of the results – Leonov E.A., Khizhinsky S.P.; data analysis, writing of the article – Khamaganova E.G. All authors participated in the editing of the article and approved its final version.