HLA diversity in the Argentinian Umbilical Cord Blood Bank: frequencies according to donor’s reported ancestry and geographical distribution

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a suitable source for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The study of HLA genes by next generation sequencing is commonly used in transplants. Donor/patient HLA matching is often higher within groups of common ancestry, however “Hispanic” is a broad category that fails to represent Argentina’s complex genetic admixture. Our aim is to describe HLA diversity of banked UCB units collected across the country taking into consideration donor’s reported ancestral origins as well as geographic distribution. Our results showed an evenly distribution of units mainly for 2 groups: of European and of Native American descent, each associated to a defined geographic location pattern (Central vs. North regions). We observed differences in allele frequency distributions for some alleles previously described in Amerindian populations: for Class I (A*68:17, A*02:11:01G, A*02:22:01G, B*39:05:01, B*35:21, B*40:04, B*15:04:01G, B*35:04:01, B*51:13:01) and Class II (DRB1*04:11:01, DRB1*04:07:01G/03, DRB1*08:02:01, DRB1*08:07, DRB1*09:01:02G, DRB1*14:02:01, DRB1*16:02:01G). Our database expands the current knowledge of HLA diversity in Argentinian population. Although further studies are necessary to fully comprehend HLA heterogeneity, this report should prove useful to increase the possibility of finding compatible donors for successful allogeneic transplant and to improve recruitment strategies for UCB donors across the country.