A novel HLA-DRB1-DR2 allele associated with HLA mistyping

Serological HLA typing is aimed at achieving the best possible histocompatibility, and at avoiding major histoincompatibility. Here we describe a novel HLA-DRB1-DR2 allele, similar to HLA-DR16, but serologically mistyped as HLA-DR15. It was cloned from a healthy Caucasian by a combined reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique using a novel pair of primers, DRB-5-FL 5'-TCCTGAATTCCAG-CATGGTGTGTCTG-3' and DRB-3-FL 5'-TCATGTCGACTTC-AGCTCAGGAATCCT-3', suitable for full-length cDNA amplification. The described novel allele is different from all known HLA-DRB1 alleles (WHO Nomenclature Committee 1992). It is strikingly homologous to the HLA-DRB1 super(*)1602 allele on the nuclei acid level. In comparison, due to a C(TC) to T(TC) transition and a CG(C) to GC(C) change, the deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein changes from leucin the phenylalanine at residue 67 and from arginine to alanine at position 72, respectively.