Allele Frequency Analysis of HLA-A, -B, -DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 Using LABType^TM SSO in a Patient Cohort from Jeonbuk National University Hospital

This retrospective, single-center study analyzed the distribution and frequency of HLA alleles in 238 patients who visited or were admitted to Jeonbuk National University Hospital between January 2023 and March 2024 and underwent HLA genotyping. Typing was performed using the low-resolution PCR-based LABTypeTM SSO method. The analysis focused on the allele frequencies at each locus (HLA-A, -B, -DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1) and the test ordering patterns across clinical departments. High-frequency alleles identified at each locus exhibited patterns consistent with previous datasets based on high-resolution NGS typing, indicating concordance between methods. These findings support the clinical relevance of low-resolution genotyping, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although the results cannot be generalized to the broader regional population because of the hospital-based design, they reflect real-world clinical test utilization. Furthermore, this study highlights how the demand for the HLA test varies according to the department. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to report the HLA allele distributions in the Jeonbuk region. The data provide foundational insights for future precision medicine applications, including donor-recipient matching, immune disease profiling, and the development of region-specific HLA databases. This study helps improve the understanding of HLA diversity in clinical and research contexts.