Asian Indian HLA-DR2-, DR4-, and DR52-related DR-DQ genotypes analyzed by polymerase chain reaction based nonradioactive oligonucleotide typing. Unique haplotypes and a novel DR4 subtype.

We have employed a PCR-based nonradioactive technique using biotinylated SSOPs to define HLA-DR2-, 4-, DR51-, and DR52-associated DR-DQ genotypes in Asian Indian families. In the DR2 group, most haplotypes described by us in a previous study were confirmed by family analysis. Evidence for one additional haplotype was available in this study. The classic DRB1*1501- and DRB1*1502-associated caucasoid haplotypes occurred with an appreciable frequency in Asian Indians, but two of the DRB1*1601-associated Caucasoid haplotypes were absent. At least six unique and unusual DR2-associated genotypes were encountered. In the DR52 group, the three most common alleles are DRB1*0301, DRB1*1404, and DRB1*1101. The DR6-associated alleles were DRB1*1301, 1302, 1401, and 1404. A few unique haplotypes occurred with low frequency in this group. In the DR4 group, at least three unusual patterns of hybridization were noticed by family analysis. One of these appears to be a novel DR4 subtype upon sequencing. These results demonstrate that, besides HLA-DR2, appreciable complexity occurs in the DR4- and DR52-associated alleles among Asian Indians. The presence of unique DR-DQ haplotypes in addition to those found characteristically among Western Caucasians suggests that the Indian population provides valuable source of many HLA class II haplotypes.