Distribution of MICB diversity in the Zhejiang Han population: PCR sequence-based typing for exons 2-6 and identification of five novel MICB alleles.

The polymorphism of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene B (MICB) and variations in MICB alleles in a variety of populations have been characterized using several genotyping approaches. In the present study, a novel polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method was established for the genotyping of MICB exons 2-6, and the allelic frequency of MICB in the Zhejiang Han population was investigated. Among 400 unrelated healthy Han individuals from Zhejiang Province, China, a total of 20 MICB alleles were identified, of which MICB*005:02:01, MICB*002:01:01, and MICB*004:01:01 were the most predominant alleles, with frequencies of 0.57375, 0.1225, and 0.08375, respectively. Nine MICB alleles were detected on only one occasion, giving a frequency of 0.00125. Of the 118 distinct MICB ∼ HLA-B haplotypes identified, 42 showed significant linkage disequilibrium (P < 0.05). Haplotypes MICB*005:02:01 ∼ B*46:01, MICB*005:02:01 ∼ B*40:01, and MICB*008 ∼ B*58:01 were the most common haplotypes, with frequencies of 0.0978, 0.0761, and 0.0616, respectively. Five novel alleles, MICB*005:07, MICB*005:08, MICB*027, MICB*028, and MICB*029 were identified. Compared with the MICB*005:02:01 sequence, a G > A substitution was observed at nucleotide position 210 in MICB*005:07, and a 1,134 T > C substitution in MICB*005:08 and an 862 G > A substitution in MICB*027 were detected. In addition, it appears that MICB*028 probably arose from MICB*004:01:01 with an A to G substitution at position 1,147 in exon 6. MICB*029 had a G > T transversion at nucleotide position 730 in exon 4, compared with that of MICB*002:01:01. On the basis of the new PCR-SBT assay, these observed results demonstrated MICB allelic variations in the Zhejiang Han population.