HLA epitope frequencies in the Canadian population

Our goal is to evaluate and apply precision medicine tools to prevent rejection of kidney transplants and to promote lifetime survival of each kidney transplant. Survival of kidney transplants may be optimized by ensuring donor and recipient compatibility at the level of epitopes on human leukocyte antigens. Human leukocyte antigens present on the donor kidney may differ from those in the recipient. Epitopes are parts of the human leukocyte antigen molecules that the recipient immune system may recognize as different from that of the recipient and induce transplant rejection. To inform on the likelihood of matching transplant candidates with epitope compatible donors, we will estimate epitope frequencies in the Canadian population from frequencies of human leukocyte antigen genes captured in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.