A NOVEL DRB3 ALLELE (DRB3-ASTERISK-0208), A NEW ALLELIC VARIANT OF DRB1-ASTERISK-1502 (DRB1-ASTERISK-15023) AND 2 NEW DQB1 (DQB1-ASTERISK-03012 AND DQB1-ASTERISK-0614) ALLELES

Four novel HLA Class II alleles were identified using CANTYPE reverse hybridization assay. The initial unusual SSO hybridization patterns we re confirmed by cloning and sequencing analysis. DRB30208 allele is i dentical to DRB30202 except for three nucleotide substitutions (GAT-- >AGC) changing codon 57 from Asp to Scr. This polymorphism has so far been undetected in DRB3 alleles DRB115023 differs from DRB1*15021 by a single silent nucleotide substitution (AAC-->AAT, both encoding fur Asn) at codon 33. This polymorphism has not, until now, been identifie d in DRB alleles Compared with DQB103011, the novel DQB1*03012 contai ns a single silent nucleotide substitution (GCA-->GCG, both encoding f or Ala) at codon 38. Finally, DQB10614 allele is identical to DQB1*06 03 except for a single nucleotide substitution (TAC-->TTC), changing c odon 9 from Tyr to Phe. Polymorphisms observed here in the DQB103012 and DQB10614 alleles are present in several of the known DQB1 alleles . DRB30208, DQB1*03012 and DQB1*0614 may have arisen from gene conver sion, but the DRB115023 most likely was generated by a point mutation event. DQB10614 was detected in three related subjects, while each o f the other three new alleles has only been detected once.