The Allele Frequency Net Database (AFND)

The Allele Frequency Net Database (AFND) provides curated allele frequency data for human leukocyte antigens (HLA), killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), major histocompatibility complex Class I chain-related genes (MIC), and cytokine gene polymorphisms across global populations to support population genetics, disease association, and pharmacogenomics research.

Key Features:

• Allele frequency datasets: Stores frequency data for HLA, KIR, MIC, and cytokine gene polymorphisms across global populations.
• Population coverage: Aggregates data from over 1,600 populations representing more than 10 million healthy individuals.
• Quality classification: Implements a 'gold-silver-bronze' tiered classification to filter and query datasets by data quality and reliability.
• Genotyping data: Includes genotyping and genotype/population data submissions that contribute to scientific publications.
• Adverse drug reaction associations: Contains curated associations between HLA markers and adverse drug reactions for pharmacogenomic analyses.
• Polymorphic region focus: Emphasizes highly polymorphic genomic regions such as HLA and KIR for diversity and association studies.

Scientific Applications:

• Population genetics: Enables analysis of allele frequency distributions and genetic diversity across human populations.
• Disease association studies: Supports investigation of associations between HLA/KIR/MIC/cytokine polymorphisms and disease susceptibility.
• Pharmacogenomics: Facilitates study of HLA-related adverse drug reactions and genotype–drug response associations.
• Clinical studies: Provides reference frequency data relevant to transplantation, immune-compatibility, and clinical genetics research.
• Evolutionary biology: Allows examination of allele frequency patterns relevant to human evolutionary and demographic history.

Methodology:

Aggregation and curation of allele frequency and genotyping data from population submissions, and application of a 'gold-silver-bronze' quality classification for dataset filtering.