HLA-B44 subtyping in the Catalan population using reference strand mediated conformation analysis. Implications for the selection of unrelated bone marrow donors

• Published in: Tissue antigens 2000-08, Vol.56 (2), p.173-177
• Main Authors: Gallardo, D., Aróstegui, J.I., Rodríguez-Luaces, M., Querol, S., González, J.R., García-López, J., Grañena, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alleles; Bone Marrow Transplantation - immunology; CTLs; donor selection; European Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Fetal Blood - immunology; GvHD; histocompatibility antigen HLA; HLA-B Antigens - analysis; HLA-B Antigens - genetics; HLA-B Antigens - immunology; HLA-B44 Antigen; HLA-B44 subtyping; Humans; Immunophenotyping - methods; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; RSCA; Spain; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Tissue Donors
• ISSN: 0001-2815; 1399-0039
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-0039.2000.560212.x

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) reactive against the disparity between HLA‐B*4402 and HLA‐B*4403 have been reported after unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation. These CTLs have been associated with acute graft‐versus‐host disease and graft rejection. This study describes the HLA‐B44‐subtyping in the Catalan population using reference‐strand mediated conformation analysis. It has been performed on 297 unrelated HLA‐B44+ cord blood units from the Barcelona Cord Blood Bank (Barcelona, Spain). We have found a predominance of HLA‐B*4403 (66.04%) over HLA‐B*4402 (33.02%), whereas the predominant HLA‐B44 allele in Northern Europe and the United States is HLA‐B*4402. This inverted proportion between HLA‐B44 subtypes in Mediterranean populations compared with other Caucasian populations suggests that HLA‐B44 subtyping should be performed when an HLA‐B44+ unrelated donor marrow is identified.