Full-length extension of HLA allele sequences by HLA allele-specific hemizygous Sanger sequencing (SSBT).

The gold standard for typing at the allele level of the highly polymorphic Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) gene system is sequence based typing. Since sequencing strategies have mainly focused on identification of the peptide binding groove, full-length sequence information is lacking for >90% of the HLA alleles. One of the goals of the 17th IHIWS workshop is to establish full-length sequences for as many HLA alleles as possible.

Major Histocompatibility Complex and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Beyond the Classical HLA Polymorphism.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents a curative treatment for many patients with hematological malignant or non-malignant disorders. Evaluation of potential donors for HSCT includes a rigorous assessment of the human leukocyte antigens (HLA) match status of family members, and the identification of suitable unrelated donors. Genes encoding transplantation antigens are placed both within and outside the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).

The HLA-B landscape of Africa: Signatures of pathogen-driven selection and molecular identification of candidate alleles to malaria protection.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes play a key role in the immune response to infectious diseases, some of which are highly prevalent in specific environments, like malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Former case-control studies showed that one particular HLA-B allele, B*53, was associated with malaria protection in Gambia, but this hypothesis was not tested so far within a population genetics framework. In this study, our objective was to assess whether pathogen-driven selection associated with malaria contributed to shape the HLA-B genetic landscape of Africa.

Common and well-documented HLA alleles over all of Europe and within European sub-regions: A catalogue from the European Federation for Immunogenetics.

Background: A catalogue of common and well-documented (CWD) human leukocyte antigen (HLA), previously established by the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI), is widely used as indicator for typing ambiguities to be resolved in tissue transplantation or for checking the universality of any HLA allele in the world. However, European population samples, which are characterized by a substantial level of genetic variation, are underrepresented in the ASHI catalogue. Therefore, the Population Genetics Working Group of the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) has facilitated data collection for an European CWD catalogue.

HLA-A-B-C-DRB1-DQB1 phased haplotypes in 124 Nigerian families indicate extreme HLA diversity and low linkage disequilibrium in Central-West Africa.

The simultaneous typing of five-HLA loci at high resolution and the availability of pedigree data allowed us to characterize extended five-locus phased haplotypes in 124 Nigerian families and to compare the observed frequencies with those expected by an expectation-maximization algorithm for unphased data. Despite the occurrence of some frequent alleles at each locus (e.g.