The frequency of HLA-B∗57:01 and the risk of abacavir hypersensitivity reactions in the majority population of Costa Rica

HLA-B∗57:01 is a well-known and cost-effective pharmacogenetic marker for abacavir hypersensitivity. As with other HLA alleles, there is widespread variation in its frequency across populations. The Costa Rica Central Valley Population (CCVP) is the major population in this country. The frequency of HLA-B∗57:01 in this population has not been described yet. Thus, our aim was to determine the frequency of this allele in the CCVP. 200 unrelated healthy volunteer donors born in the CCVP were typed. HLA-B∗57-positive samples identified by HLA intermediate resolution typing methods were further typed by SBT to high resolution. An HLA-B∗57:01 carrier frequency of 5.00% was determined in this sample. This frequency is relatively high in comparison to reports from other populations in Latin America. These results suggest that there is a considerable frequency of HLA-B∗57:01 in the CCVP and that pharmacogenetic testing for HIV+ patients who are going to receive abacavir-based treatment should be considered in this country.