BACKGROUND: To monitor the performance of histocompatibility testing laboratories, HLA proficiency survey in Korea has been conducted biannually since 1996. In this report, we summarized the results of the surveys performed in recent two years (2005-2006). METHODS: A total of four proficiency surveys were performed, in which 59-61 laboratories participated. Each survey included three tests for HLA class I (serology and DNA) and class II (DNA) typing and six tests for HLA crossmatch. RESULTS: The overall concordance of serologic typing was 98.9% (355/359) for HLA-A, 97.5% (350/ 359) for HLA-B, and 94.7% (337/356) for HLA-C. The antigens assigned correctly by less than 95% of the participating laboratories were A26 (93.8%), B38 (94.2%), Cw3/Cw10 (90.9%), Cw6 (94.4%), and Cw8 (74.3%). The overall concordance rates of DNA typing were 99.6% (533/535) for HLA-A, 99.8% (539/540) for HLA-B, and 100% (392/392) for HLA-C. Correct assignment of HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 was reported by 99.2% (98.1-100%) and 96.7% (88.9-100%) for the generic level and 100% and 95.8% (75-100%) for the allelic level, respectively. On the average 3.8% (0-7.7%) of the total laboratories showed unacceptable results in the crossmatch tests. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of correct antigen identification and of unacceptable crossmatch were similar to those of previous surveys, which were considered satisfactory. The Korean proficiency survey program may have contributed to a high quality of HLA tests today and should be continued for further improvements of the tests tomorrow.
Alleles ; Data Collection ; HLA Antigens/*blood/genetics ; HLA-A Antigens/blood/genetics ; HLA-B Antigens/blood/genetics ; HLA-C Antigens/blood/genetics ; HLA-DQ Antigens/blood/genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens/blood/genetics ; Haplotypes ; Histocompatibility Testing/*standards ; Humans ; Korea ; Laboratories ; Quality Control

BACKGROUND: Transfusion of HLA-matched platelets is required when development of platelet refractoriness occurs after repeated platelet transfusion. This study was conducted to establish a HLA-matched platelet donor registry to supply matched platelets to patients who develop platelet refractoriness. METHODS: HLA-matched platelet donors were recruited among plateletpheresis donors. HLA-A and HLA-B antigen types of recruited donors were tested using a polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe method. RESULTS: A total of 1,029 plateletpheresis donors were recruited. HLA-A and HLA-B antigen frequencies of recruited donors were similar to those of previously reported HLA antigen frequencies of Koreans. During the study period, a patient with platelet refractoriness recovered after receiving six units of HLA-matched platelets. CONCLUSION: During this study 1,029 donors were registered as HLA-matched platelet donors and a patient with platelet refractoriness received HLA-matched platelets using this registry. Supply of HLA-matched platelets will be facilitated by continuous expansion of the number of registered HLA-matched platelet donors, development of a program for management and searching for HLA-matched donors, and establishment of a request-supply system between hospitals and the Korean Red Cross through further studies.
Blood Platelets* ; HLA-A Antigens ; HLA-B Antigens ; Humans ; Platelet Transfusion ; Plateletpheresis ; Red Cross* ; Tissue Donors*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum interleukin-33 (IL-33), β₂microglobulin (β₂-MG) levels and Durie-Salmon (DS) stage in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: 100 MM patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from March 2019 to January 2021 were selected and divided into stage I, stage II and stage III groups according to the DS staging system. A baseline data questionnaire of patients was designed, then the relevant baseline data and laboratory test results of patients were recorded. The levels of serum IL-33 and β₂-MG of all patients were detected, and the correlation between serum IL-33, β₂-MG levels and DS stage of MM patients was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients with MM, there were 32 cases in stage I, 39 cases in stage II and 29 cases in stage III. The levels of serum CRP and β₂-MG of patients in stage III were significantly higher than those of patients in stage I and II, and the levels of serum CRP and β₂-MG of patients in stage II were significantly higher than those of patients in stage I, the differences were statistically significant (P <0.05). The level of serum IL-33 of patients in stage III was significantly lower than that of patients in stage I and II, and the level of serum IL-33 of patients in stage II was significantly lower than that of patients in stage I, the differences were statistically significant (P <0.05). There was no statistical significant difference in other data between groups (P >0.05). Kendall's tau-b correlation analysis showed that the levels of serum CRP and β₂-MG were positively correlated with DS stage in MM patients (r =0.534, 0.776), the level of serum IL-33 was negatively correlated with DS stage in MM patients (r =-0.759). Ordered logistic regression analysis and forest plot showed that the low level of serum IL-33 and the high level of β₂-MG were the influencing factors of high DS stage in MM patients (P <0.05 ). CONCLUSION DS stage of MM patients is closely related to the levels of serum IL-33 and β₂-MG, that is, the lower the serum IL-33 level and the higher the β₂-MG level, and the higher the DS stage of MM patients.
Humans ; Interleukin-33 ; Multiple Myeloma ; Prognosis ; HLA-G Antigens/blood*

BACKGROUND: Introduction of the Luminex panel reactive antibody (PRA)-single antigen (SA) assay has increased the detection rates of unacceptable antigens in sensitized patients; the calculated PRA (CPRA) level represents the percentage of actual organ donors that express 1 or more of these unacceptable antigens. We developed a CPRA calculator based on the HLA frequencies in Koreans to measure sensitization levels in Korean patients. METHODS: To develop the calculator, we obtained the HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DR phenotypes of 1,622 Koreans, and compared these with previously reported frequencies in Koreans. Sera from patients awaiting kidney transplantation were tested for HLA antibodies by Luminex PRA-screen, PRA-identification (ID), and PRA-SA assays. The measured %PRA from the PRA-screen (N=55) and PRA-ID (N=71) were compared to the %CPRA for the unacceptable antigens obtained from PRA-SA. RESULTS: Phenotype frequencies used for the CPRA calculator agreed with previously reported data. The concordance rates among the 3 PRA methods for the detection of class I and class II antibodies were 76.1-81.8% (kappa, 0.519-0.636) and 72.7-83.6% (0.463-0.650), respectively. For the detection of broadly sensitized sera (>50% or >80%), the concordance rates were over 80%. In sera with 80-100% CPRA, 91.7% and 94.4% of the samples had concordant results (80-100% PRA) in the PRA-screen and PRA-ID assay, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although further clinical studies are required to confirm the benefits of CPRA values, adoption of CPRA analysis based on HLA frequencies in Koreans may be useful for sensitization measurements and organ-allocation algorithms.
*Algorithms ; HLA Antigens/immunology ; HLA-B Antigens/immunology ; HLA-DR Antigens/immunology ; *Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Isoantibodies/*blood/immunology ; Phenotype ; Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND: The HLA system is known to be the most polymorphic genetic system in human, and HLA allele and haplotype distribution varies widely among different ethnic groups. This study was performed to examine the frequencies of HLA alleles and haplotypes in Koreans. METHODS: We examined HLA-A, -B, and -DR alleles at the serologic level in 1,500 cord blood units obtained from Koreans using the PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide (SSO) method. Allele and haplotype frequencies were estimated by the maximum likelihood method using the computer program developed for the 11th International Histocompatibility Workshop. RESULTS: HLA alleles found in Koreans were 12 in A, 31 in B, and 13 in DR loci. Most frequent alleles with frequencies > or =10% in each locus in decreasing order of frequency were: A2, A24, A33, A11; B62; DR4, DR15, DR9, and DR13. Two-locus haplotypes with frequencies > or =0.1% were 104 A-B and 115 B-DR haplotypes, among which those with frequencies > or =1.0% showing significant positive linkage disequilibrium (P< or =0.001) were 21 A-B and 20 B-DR haplotypes. A total of 169 A-B-DR haplotypes with frequencies > or =0.1% were identified. The results were similar to those of a previous study in 1,600 Koreans, although some differences were noted in the distribution of some less frequent alleles or haplotypes with frequencies < or =0.5%. CONCLUSIONS: We provided the allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, -B, and -DR in cord blood units of Korean ethnicity defined by a DNA typing method, which can be used as basic data on Koreans for organ transplantation and disease association studies.
Fetal Blood ; *Gene Frequency ; HLA-A Antigens/classification/*genetics ; HLA-B Antigens/classification/*genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens/classification/*genetics ; *Haplotypes ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Korea ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Accurate HLA typing is important for umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation as well as bone marrow transplantation. However, HLA class I typing by standard microcytotoxicity method has been often unsatisfactory for UCB samples. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of cytotoxic reaction in HLA class I microlymphocytotoxicity testing for UCB. METHODS: We compared the strength index (SI) and the frequencies of HLA antigens with weak reaction between 87 UCB and 103 adult peripheral blood samples by analysis of reaction score in microlymphocytotoxicity typing using Terasaki Oriental HLA-ABC (72) Well Tray (One Lambda, USA). RESULTS: The mean SI of UCB samples in HLA class I typing was significantly lower than that of adult blood (78.5% vs. 96.8%). The SI of 100% among UCB and adult blood samples were 24.1% and 71.8%, respectively. Among HLA-A, B, C antigens, those showing significantly high frequencies of weak reaction in UCB were HLA-A31, B48, B51, B59, B61, Cw3 and Cw7. Cytotoxic reactions of Bw4 and Bw6 in UCB were significantly weaker than those in adult blood. CONCLUSIONS: The strategy of using a supplementary DNA typing method in selected cases with doubtful or unreliable results in serological typing would be effective for an accurate HLA class I typing of UCB samples.
Adult ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Fetal Blood* ; Histocompatibility Testing ; HLA Antigens ; HLA-A Antigens ; Humans ; Umbilical Cord*

The current study analyzed the data of 4 000 umbilical cord blood (UCB) units collected in Shandong Cord Blood Bank from the end of 1999 to March 2001. The averages of nucleated cells and CD34(+) cells were more than 1.2 x 10(9) and 3.9 x 10(6) per UCB unit respectively, and more than 1.5 x 10(9) nucleated cells per UCB unit were obtained in 768 UCB units. These UCB units are suitable for transplantation in patients with a body weight greater than 40 kg. The analysis of HLA gene frequency showed that A2, A24, A11, B13, B51, DR15, DR7 and DR9 are the common halotypes in Shandong population and similar to those in the other areas of China. 40% patients could search out at least 1 UCB unit with 1 mismatched HLA locus in Shandong Cord Blood Bank.
Antigens, CD34 ; immunology ; Blood Banks ; Blood Preservation ; Cell Count ; China ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Gene Frequency ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the expression of HLA-DR surface antigen in undifferentiated human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and after osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: hUCB-derived MSCs were differentiated into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages. Differentiation was assessed by immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR. The expression of HLA-DR was assessed with antihuman HLA-DR antibody in undifferentiated hUCB-derived MSCs and after tri-lineage differentiation. RESULTS: HLA-DR expression was negative in undifferentiated hUCB-derived MSCs and after osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. However, HLA-DR surface antigen was expressed after chondrogenic differentiation. CONCLUSION: The immunologic properties of hUCB-derived MSCs differ from known reports on bone marrow derived MSCs from the results of this study. Careful immunological survey seems to be needed in case of considering the transplantation of hUCB-derived MSCs differentiated into chondrocytes or cartilaginous tissue.
Antigens, Surface ; Bone Marrow ; Chondrocytes ; Fetal Blood* ; HLA-DR Antigens* ; Humans* ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Umbilical Cord*

This study was aimed to investigate the corelation between the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) genes and susceptibility of leukeamia. 605 patients with leukeamia including 189 ALL, 184 AML and 232 CML were selected for this investigation. 900 normal umbilical cord blood samples from umbilical cord blood bank were used as control population compared to the leukemia patients. HLA-A, B, C typing was done by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (SSP-PCR). The results showed that frequencies of HLA-A*26, A*68, B*56 in ALL patients were higher (4.46%, 2.65%, 1.17%), as compared with controls (2.31%, 0.95%, 0.22%), HLA-CW*06 in ALL patients was lower (3.64%), as compared with control (11.65%). In AML patients HLA-A*01 (9.41%), B*37 (3.60%) was higher and A*33 (3.60%), B*51 (4.73%) were lower than those in controls (3.57%, 1.75% and 7.64%, 7.93%). HLA-A*32, B*27, B*44, B*54, B*55 (2.18%, 3.96%, 5.06%, 4.63%, 2.84%) in CML patients were higher than those in control (0.84%, 2.04%, 3.07%, 2.44%, 1.29%). These results suggested that positive association may exist between certain HLA-class I genes and leukemias. These preliminary data may be useful for further study on the mechanisms of leukemia pathogenesis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-C Antigens ; genetics ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; blood ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

In order to study the genetic status of a rare chimeric family, some samples of A(3)B(3) family were identified by sequencing of ABO gene; flow-rSSO and PCR-SSP were used to detect loci of HLA-A, B, DRB1 genes, and multiplex amplifying with fluorescence-dye were performed for 16 short tandem repeat (STR) loci. The results indicated that two individuals from A(3)B(3) family contained more than two alleles at ABO gene, HLA-B, DRB1 and some STR loci. In conclusion, analysis of chimeric blood group by using genotyping techniques clearly demonstrating genetic status of this rare chimeric blood group promotes further elucidation of the existing state of specific genetic status.
ABO Blood-Group System ; genetics ; immunology ; Adult ; Chimerism ; Female ; Genotype ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Humans ; Male ; Pedigree ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics