A novel HLA-DRB1 allele, DRB1*0449, with a rare point mutation found in the Han population of Guangdong China.

A novel HLA-DRB1 allele, DRB1*0449, has been identified in the Han population of Guangdong Province of China. Compared with DRB1*0406, it has only one single-nucleotide mutation from G to A at position 18 of exon 2, which causes a change in the protein sequence from valine to isoleucine at codon 11 of DR beta chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]