Identification of Genetic Variations in HLA Region for Kidney Functions

HLA allelic polymorphisms are associated with a variety of kidney-related traits in different populations. Although Taiwanese-specific genetic variants associated with kidney function have been reported, the role of HLA alleles is unclear. In this study, the association between eGFR and genetic variations in the HLA region was explored in a cohort of 59,448 Taiwanese subjects. A total of 448 genetic variations in the HLA region are significantly associated with eGFR. HLA-C*03 is associated with decreased eGFR, while HLA-DQA1*03, HLA-DQB1*03:03 and HLA-DQB1*03:03:02 demonstrated protective effects. Moreover, amino acid changes on HLA-C and HLA-DRB1 are significantly associated with eGFR. Finally, the eGFR-associated single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and insertions and deletions (indels) are enriched in the HLA-DQB1 gene. After conditional analysis, we identified two independent signals, including rs2853941, rs3830060. In summary, this study highlights the role of HLA-C, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DRB1 variations in kidney function in the Taiwan Han Chinese population.