HLA-DNA TYPING ENABLES THE DEFINITIVE ASSIGNMENT OF HLA ANTIGENS NOT DETERMINED BY SEROLOGICAL TECHNIQUE IN RECIPIENTS FOR BOME MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

We retrospectively studied HLA typing which had been performed since 1986. The results of HLA typing determined by the serological typing were compared with those determined by DNA typing using the modified PCR-RFLP method. With the serological method, HLA-A, B, C, typings were 100% feasible but HLA-DR, DQ typing were unfeasible in 20.9% of recipients for bone marrow transplantation all of which were definitively defined for HLA class II alleles by the PCR-RFLP method. Most of these serological “blank” antigens were DR5, DR6 and DR8 which could be easily detected by DNA typing. The PCR-RFLP method which is not influenced by lymphocyte viability, is essential for the practice of recipient-donor matching in bone marrow transplantation.