New HLA alleles discovered by next generation sequencing in routine histocompatibility lab work in a medium-volume laboratory.

The immunogenetics research and clinical communities are undergoing a revolution in the way that Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) alleles are typed, thanks to the introduction and increasing acceptance of next-generation sequencing into laboratory practice. With the ability to sequence all exons of each allele, instead of the previously routine typing of exons 2 and 3 of class I and exon 2 of class II, the sequencing of previously unsequenced areas of HLA alleles is causing a host of new alleles to be discovered through the course of routine laboratory testing. In the first 4 months of routine next generation sequencing, we have identified 10 novel alleles that have been discovered through laboratory testing for all facets of HLA typing, i.