A panel of samples, previously typed by serology, was retyped using a line
probe assay One sample from a Brazilian Caucasian individual was serologica
lly typed as B52/B39, but showed an aberrant HLA-B pattern on the diagnosti
c strip and was typed as B*52012/B*39new. Further analysis by allele-specif
ic amplification and subsequent sequencing of exons 2 and 3 revealed a G(B*
3908)-to-T nucleotide substitution at position 467 (codon 156) resulting in
an Arg (B*3908)-to-Leu substitution. Furthermore, the sequence revealed a
silent mutation at position 174 (codon 58): a G(B*3908)-to-A nucleotide swi
tch. The sequence has been sent to the EMBL databank and the HLA Nomenclatu
re Committee, and the allele was named B*3913.