Tiza Ng'uni

1 Communication We report a novel HLA-E allele, now named HLA-E*01:152, identified during high-resolution HLA genotyping of African populations using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). This variant was detected in 12 individuals across four countries—six in Zimbabwe, four in South Africa, one in Zambia, and one in Kenya—prompting further investigation. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using the Qiagen QIAamp DNA Midi Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany).

Abstract Africa remains significantly underrepresented in high-resolution Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) data, despite being one of the most genetically diverse regions in the world. This critical gap in genetic information poses a substantial barrier to HLA-based research on the continent. In this study, Class I HLA data from Eastern and Southern African populations were analyzed to assess genetic diversity across the region.