ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In the Korean population, gene frequencies of Human Neutrophil Alloantigen-1 (HNA-1), HNA-2, HNA-4, and HNA-5 were determined using serological and genotyping methods. However, no study assessing the gene frequencies of HNA-3 among the Korean population has been conducted. The aims of this study were to report the gene frequencies of HNA-3, to estimate the risk of HNA-3a (or HNA-3b) alloimmunization, and to secure donors of granulocytes for anti-HNA-3 antibodies among the Korean population. METHODS: Genotyping of HNA-3a and HNA-3b genes of 110 healthy and unrelated Korean donors was performed using a polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. RESULTS: The observed frequencies of HNA-3a and HNA-3b were 0.695 and 0.305, respectively, among the Korean population. The HNA-3a gene frequency of Koreans was significantly lower than those of American Whites and Germans (P<0.05). The risk of HNA-3a and HNA-3b alloimmunization due to pregnancy (transfusion) was 0.065 (0.084) and 0.147 (0.250), respectively, among the Korean population. The risk of HNA-3a alloimmunization was significantly higher in the Korean population than in the German and American White populations (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The gene frequencies of HNA-3 and the risk of HNA-3a (HNA-3b) alloimmunization due to pregnancy or transfusion among the Korean population were determined. We also identified individuals who were HNA-3a/3a or HNA-3b/3b for the granulocyte panel which could be used for anti-HNA antibody identification.