A NOVEL DR-BETA-1-ASTERISK-03 ALLELE IDENTIFIED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION-RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH POLYMORPHISM

This report describes a new MHC class II allele, HLA-DR beta 10306, d iscovered in a 31-year-old Norwegian male. The allele typed serologica lly as DRw52 (DR3) and amplified in PCR using DR52-associated group pr imers. This product could not be identified using established restrict ion digests, however. Use of Asp 700, Msp I, Hha I, Bse RI, Mnl I, Hph I, and Bsrb I gave banding patterns expected for a DR beta 103011 al lele, but Rsa I had an additional sire at codon 47. Sequencing showed a single base change at this position, with the substitution of tyrosi ne for phenylanine in this new allele. The biologic impact of this sub stitution remains to be determined.