CHARACTERIZATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF HLA-B-ASTERISK-5002 IN A SPANISHPOPULATION-SAMPLE

HLA-B45, in contrast to B44, does not show molecular polymorphism, We have found a group of Caucasian Spanish individuals, serologically typ ed as B45, showing an unexpected HLA-B12 PCR-SSO subtyping pattern. Co mplete coding region sequencing and B45 subtyping by PCR-SSO demonstra ted that the B45 serologic specificity is constituted by two molecular alleles: B4501 and B*5002. B*5002 is recognized by polyclonal and mo noclonal allosera against B12 and B45, whereas it is not detected by B 21, B49, or B50 reagents, providing a new example of poor correlation between serology and structure. B5002 explains an important subset (1 8%) of the B45-positive individuals of the Spanish population studied, and almost half are included in a very infrequent haplotypic associat ion, Cw6-B5002-DRB1*0406-DQA1*03-DQB1*0402.