Genetic Methods of HLA Typing

Abstract

Several molecular techniques have been adapted for the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing with their advantages and drawbacks, which greatly improved the feasibility and precision of HLA typing as compared to previously used methods. Molecular techniques enabled more accurate analyses of the influence of HLA disparities on hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant outcome. The principles of the new 2010 HLA nomenclature, the HLA genotype assignment, both with accurate and ambiguous results generated using most common techniques, have been presented in this chapter. Basic features, such as throughput and resolution of the methods, have been outlined. Detailed exemplary protocols of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedures of HLA-typing using sequence specific primer (SSP), sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (SSO), and sequencing-based typing (SBT) techniques have been described. There is currently an increasing interest in the typing of different nonHLA genetic polymorphisms that are involved in transplantation immunity pathways. Among them, the protocols of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and minor histocompatibility antigen (mHA) PCR-SSP typing have been presented in detail.