Human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) is the most complicated human dominant polymorphic genetic system. Accurate HLA genotyping is clinically important for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, also important for research on many human diseases. Polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing (PCR-SBT) provides the highest resolution level and defines new alleles, so it is widely used for HLA typing. One great disadvantage of PCR-SBT method is the fact that it cannot resolve sequences of heterozygous samples in diploid genomes, leading to ambiguous typing results which make much trouble to the accurate definition of HLA genotype. This article reviewed the occurring reasons and solution method of ambiguous allele combinations in the HLA high resolution genotyping as well as the research prospect in this field.
Genotype ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing of large groups of patients with various autoimmune diseases has demonstrated that some HLA alleles occur at higher frequencies in specific diseases than in the general population. Chronic urticaria has been shown to have an autoimmune basis by a previous study which found an association between chronic urticaria and specific HLA groups. We investigated the HLA subtypes of Turkish chronic urticaria patients. For this purpose 42 Turkish patients with chronic urticaria and 115 healthy controls were typed for HLA-DR and DQ by PCR-SSP (Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence Specific Primers) low resolution DNA technique. We found an increased frequency of DR4 (42.9%, p=0.01) in chronic urticaria patients in comparison with that in healthy controls. This study supports the hypothesis that HLA alleles may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic urticaria and that they appear to be directly involved in the initiation of the immune response.
Chronic Disease ; HLA-DQ Antigens/genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens/genetics ; HLA-DR4 Antigen/genetics ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/*genetics ; *Histocompatibility Testing ; Human ; Urticaria/*genetics/*immunology

BACKGROUND: Panel reactive antibody (PRA) test is used to determine whether a patient awaiting transplantation is previously sensitized. Tail analysis algorithm is widely used to identify antibody specificities, but it is very difficult to perform manually. METHODS: To develop a web-based program, PHP (5.1.2), Apache (2.0.55), and MySQL (5.0.22) were used. Tail analysis algorithm was applied to identify specificities, which analyzed statistically 2 x 2 tables representing reactivities to broad antigens, splits and cross reactive groups (CREG). Exploiting two CREG classifications of Rodey (R) and Takemoto (T), antibody specificities were identified by 3 methods (ABC, R-ABC, T-ABC) simultaneously. Performance of the system was evaluated using 159 samples that showed > or =6 PRA% by a lymphocytotoxicity assay. RESULTS: A web-based system that can identify HLA antibody specificities was implemented on www.koreanhla.com. Among 159 samples tested, antibody specificities were identified in 151 (95.0 %), but not in 8 samples with PRA >97%. Among the 151 samples, 110 showed broad or split specificities and 41 CREG specificities. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a web-based computer program for the identification of HLA antibody specificities. Accessible to everyone on the internet, this program should be of help in sharing PRA results among laboratories.
Algorithms ; *Antibody Specificity/genetics ; HLA Antigens/genetics/*immunology ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Internet ; *Software

Behcet's disease is a chronic multi-systemic disease of unknown origin that includes mucocutaneous, ocular, cardiac, vascular, renal, gastrointestinal, neurologic and cutaneous involvement. The disease is spread throughout the world, but it is most prevalent in the eastern Mediterranean region-along the Silk Road-, and in Japan, China, and Korea. Recently, we treated a Mongolian patient who had complete-type Behcet's disease. As far as we know, this case is the first report of a Mongolian with Behcet's disease in the English literature. HLA typing in this patient revealed A2, A24; B51, B35; Cw4, Cw7; DR9, DR11. Study of the MICA genetype showed *5, *6 positive. Our data provided adequate evidence, from an epidemiological aspect, to support the belief that Behcet's disease is most prevalent along the old Silk Road.
Adult ; Alleles ; Behcet Syndrome/*genetics/immunology ; Genotype ; HLA-B Antigens/*genetics ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/*genetics ; Human ; Male

BACKGROUND: Panel reactive antibody (PRA) is to screen and identify HLA antibody. Majority of antibody specificities in high-PRA are directed against cross reactive group (CREG). Thus, this study was to know the advantage of identifying CREG specificity and whether antibody specificities are changed according to CREG classification. METHODS: HLA class I antibodies were identified from 159 sera from 108 patients in Asan Medical Center, who had shown more than 5% PRA by anti-human globulin (AHG)-complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Tail analysis-based computer program was developed to identify specificities, applying both Rodey (R-ABC) and Takemoto (T-ABC) classification. The results were also compared with those obtained when without CREG application (ABC). RESULTS: Among 151 cases in which HLA specificities was identified, the frequency of CREG specificity was 22.5% in R-ABC and 27.2% in T-ABC. Eleven cases showed CREG specificities only in one classification. However, the individual antigen specificities in one hand were all included in the CREG identified in the other hand. CREG specificities in samples with PRA >50% (60%) were more frequently identified than those in samples with PRA < or =50% (9%) (in R-ABC, P<0.0001). Without applying CREG to interpretation, specificity was not identified in 9 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Application of CREG enhanced the rate of antibody identification. Antibody specificities of those cases where CREG specificities were different between Rodey and Takemoto classifications were almost the same when compared at the individual antigen level. Therefore, it was thought that it makes no difference to use any one of these two classifications in interpreting PRA.
Alleles ; Antibodies/blood ; *Antibody Specificity ; Cross Reactions ; HLA Antigens/genetics/*immunology ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology ; Histocompatibility Testing ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies

To establish delta block HLA-matching technique, DNA was extracted from whole blood by salting-out method, delta block was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and PCR product was detected by GeneScan. The results showed that delta block had polymorphism in 104 samples without sibship of the Han people from Zhejiang province. The range of DNA fragment length was 81-393 bp and could be divided into 4 groups: 81-118 bp, 140-175 bp, 217-301 bp, 340-393 bp. The numbers of DNA fragments were 6-32. It is concluded that the method of delta block matching is reliable and can be applied to select donors for the patients to be transplanted. It is the first time to get delta block data of the Han people in China.
HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; HLA-DQ Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; immunology ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Histocompatibility Testing ; methods ; Humans

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a critical role in the control of HIV-1 infection and replication. HIV-1 evades CTL mediated pressure through viral escape mutations within targeted CTLs epitopes or flanking regions, but this process is usually associated with a viral fitness cost. The mutated epitopes may weaken the level of the original CTL responses, however, the immune system holds potential to mount denovo responses towards those newly emerged epitopes. This article briefly summarizes recent research progress regarding the competition between HIV-1's escape mutations and host CTL responses.
Animals ; HIV Infections ; genetics ; immunology ; HIV-1 ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Mutation ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology ; virology

OBJECTIVETo establish a calculated panel reactive antibody (CPRA) method to analyze the donor-recipient incompatibility rate in PRA-positive kidney recipients and estimate the probability of these recipients to receive kidney transplantation.

METHODSBased on the database of HLA-A, -B, -DR genes and A-B, A-DR, B-DR, A-B-DR haplotype frequencies collected from 2004 donors from Jan 2000 to Dec 2012, we analyzed CPRA in 202 PRA-positive recipients and evaluated the consistency between PRA and CPRA assessments using a CPRA-Java calculator software, which returned a percentage of CPRA (representing the probability of unacceptable HLA in the donor group) after input of HLA-specific antibodies of a PRA-positive recipient.

RESULTSThe mean PRA intensity of the 202 PRA-positive recipients was (23.12∓17.83)% with a mean CPRA% of (46.07∓23.30)%. A significant difference was found between the mean PRA% and CPRA% in low sensitized recipients (PRA 0-10%) [(6.87∓2.41)% vs (21.63∓11.75)%, P<0.05) and in moderately sensitized recipients (PRA 10%-30%) [(20.15∓5.70)% vs (50.56∓16.86)%, P<0.05), but not in highly sensitized recipients (PRA>30%); The concordance rates between PRA% and CPRA% in the 3 groups were 19.35% (P<0.05), 10.99% (P<0.05), and 100% (P>0.05), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSLowly sensitized kidney recipients might have a lower probability of actually receiving a transplant than PRA% shows. A PRA%>30% is a risk factor for kidney transplantation. PRA reflects the sensitized level of a renal recipient, and reliable detection of HLA antibody specificity is of critical importance. CPRA accurately reflects the probability of a recipient to receive a transplant to assist clinicians in predicting the waiting time and selecting the transplant approach.

Antibodies ; Antibody Specificity ; Graft Rejection ; immunology ; Graft Survival ; immunology ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; Haploidy ; Histocompatibility Testing ; methods ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation

The interaction of killer cell immunoglobin-like receptors (KIR) with HLA molecules has particular relevance to the genetics, immune responses and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The genes of KIR and HLA are located in different chromosomes and segregate independently. The repertoire of KIR molecules varies among NK cells and is determined by the KIR genotype. The HLA genotype has only subtle impact on the KIR phenotype. Three major HLA specificity groups are recognized by KIRs. Donor versus recipient NK-cell alloreactivity, when recipients lack HLA ligand for their donor inhibitory KIR, can benefit allogeneic stem cell transplantation, especially the HLA haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The outcome of stem cell transplantation can be best predicted by the presence of KIRs on the donor's NK cells and the absence of corresponding KIR ligand in the recipient's HLA repertoire-a receptor-ligand model. In this paper the interaction of KIR and HLA in hematopoietic stem transplantation, the genetic basis of KIR and HLA, the relation of KIR expression on NK cells with HLA and the role of KIR and HLA in immune responses were reviewed.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; cytology ; immunology ; Receptors, Immunologic ; genetics ; immunology ; Receptors, KIR ; Transplantation Immunology

To investigate the effects of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) virulent strain Shimen (SM) infection on piglets peripheral blood leucocytes, the 60-days weanling piglets were infected with the shinen strain and the peripheral blood samples of the piglets were collected to analyze the kinetics of the CSEV nucleic acid, the peripheral blood leucocytes subpopulation and SLA molecule expression on the peripheral blood leukocytes. The results showed that the piglets rectal temperature increased 48 hours after intramuscular injection of CSFV SM strain, the CSFV nucleic acid was detected in the peripheral blood at 2DPI, the content of CSFV nucleic acid increased and up-regulated to a peak at 6DPI as 10 (4.84 +/- 0.98 times as 2DPI. The amount of WBC, LYM and PLT significantly decreased, where in the amount of WBC decreased to 65.87% at 1DPI and 50% at 2DPI respectively; the amount of LYM decreased to 70.68%, 47.88% and 23.29% at 1DPI, 2DPI, and 3DPI, respectively; the amount of PLT decreased day by day and to 34.59% at 6DPI; the amount of NK, gammadeltaT, Tc, Th, CD3+ CD4+ CD8+ and CD3- CD4- CD8- cells decreased after infection; 78.49% of NK cells decreased at 1DPI and then there was no significant change from 2DPI to 6DPI. The amount of gammadeltaT, Tc, CD4- CD8- CD3-,CD4+ CD8+ CD3+ cells decreased to 41.74%, 43.83%, 15.87%, and 32.96% at 3DPI, respectively, However, the amount of T helper cells decreased continually to 42.95% at 6DPI; the amount of SLA I positive lymphocytes decreased significantly and the amount of SLA I positive CD3 cells decreased to 23.07% and 15.38% at 1DPI and 2DPI respectively; the SLA I positive granulocytes increased continually from 92.20% at 1DPI to 98.30% at 3DPI; the amount of CD3 SLA II + cells in lymphocytes decreased from 1.38% at 1DPI to 0.22% at 2DPI, while the SLA II + granulocytes increased continually to a peak at 3DPI and 53.76% of granulocytes expressed the SLA II molecule, but the percentage of the granulocytes expressing SLA II molecules decreased to 12.54% and 4.06% at 4DPI and 5DPI respectively. The study indicated that the CSFV SM strain infection could escape the immune surveillance and cause immunosuppression through inhibiting the host's innate antiviral immunity and the SLA molecule expression to affect the antigen presentation.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Classical Swine Fever ; genetics ; immunology ; virology ; Classical swine fever virus ; pathogenicity ; physiology ; Gene Expression ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; immunology ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; immunology ; virology ; Random Allocation ; Swine ; Virulence