Distribution of HLA allele frequencies in 82 Chinese individuals with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus and is currently a global pandemic. HLA variation is associated with COVID-19 because HLA plays a pivotal role in the immune response to pathogens. Here, 82 individuals with COVID-19 were genotyped for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DRB3/4/5, -DQA1, -DQB1, -DPA1, and -DPB1 loci using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Frequencies of the HLA-C*07:29, C*08:01G, B*15:27, B*40:06, DRB1*04:06, and DPB1*36:01 alleles were higher, while the frequencies of the DRB1*12:02 and DPB1*04:01 alleles were lower in COVID-19 patients than in the control population, with uncorrected statistical significance. Only HLA-C*07:29 and B*15:27 were significant when the corrected P-value was considered. These data suggested that some HLA alleles may be associated with the occurrence of COVID-19.