HLA class I allele distribution of a Hong Kong Chinese population based on high-resolution PCR-SSOP typing

A stem cell registry population from Hong Kong, of Chinese ethnicity, was examined for HLA-A and HLA-B alleles using a two-stage sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe system. Comparison of the HLA-A and HLA-B frequencies with different populations showed a close relationship with a Chinese population from Singapore, although there were several differences in the presence/absence of alleles at the HLA-B locus. Having the data available on these registry donors will influence the search strategy and the ongoing compilation of new donors to the registry. In addition, knowing which alleles do/do not occur in this population will aid in the distinction of ambiguities which result from the use of many of the typing kits available.