A new HLA-Cw allele (Cw0808) found in a Colombian Mestizo individual possibly generated by an intralocus/interloci gene conversion

Seven different HLA-Cw*08 (Cw*0801-*0807) alleles have been described to date (Bodmer et al. 1999; Marsh 2000). HLA-Cw*0801 and Cw*0803 are mainly present in American Indians and Orientals (Belich et al. 1992; Parham et al. 1989); Cw*0802 shows a Caucasoid distribution (Parham et al. 1989); Cw*0804 was found in Negroid and Hispanic individuals (Turner et al. 1998); Cw*0806 was described in American Indians, and Cw*0805 and Cw*0807 have an undetermined origin (http://www.anthonynolan.com/HIG). The frequency of Cw*08 is still poorly studies among populations, but it has been reported in 4.5% of Ticuna Indians from Brazil-Colombia, and 8.7% of the Venezuelan-Mestizo population (Petzl-Erler et al. 1997). In the present study, a new Cw*08 subtype is described in a 40-year-old healthy Colombian Mestizo born in Barranquilla City (north coast of Colombia). Nowadays, Colombia has a complex ethnicity, which is composed of mostly Mestizo groups and (to a lesser degree) of Ameridian and Mulatto groups. Most first Ameridian inhabitants were chibchan and smaller groups of Achagua, Aymara, Arawak, Carib, Quechua, Tupi-Guarani and Yaramangui also existed. A greater prevalence of the Mulatto groups (African American) has been found in both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and have mainly contributed to the genetic background of the coastal people; Arango and Sanchez 1988; Gutierrez 1986). The individual carrying the novel Cw*0808 allele showed the following HLA DNA-typing: A*0222, A*2902/Cw*0808, Cw*0802/B*1510, B*4801/DRB1*0407, DRB1*1102/DQB1*0302, DQB1*0301. Typing of his two children determined the following haplotypes: A*0222-Cw*0808-B*4801-DRB1*0407-DQB1*0302 and A*2902-Cw*0802-B*1510-DRB1*1102-DQB1*0301.