Ds. Okeefe et A. Dobrovic, A RAPID AND RELIABLE PCR METHOD FOR GENOTYPING THE ABO BLOOD-GROUP .2. A(2) AND O-2 ALLELES, Human mutation, 8(4), 1996, pp. 358-361
PCR permits direct genotyping of individuals at the ABO locus, Several
methods have been reported for genotyping ABO that rely on differenti
ating the A, B, and O alleles at specific base substitutions. However,
the O allele as defined by serology comprises at least two alleles (O
-1 and O-2) at the molecular level, and most current ABO genotyping me
thods only take into account the O-1 allele. Determining the presence
of the O-2 allele is critical, as this not infrequent allele would be
mistyped as an A or a B aIlele by standard PCR typing methods, Further
more, none of the methods to date distinguish between the A(1) and A(2
) alleles, even though 10% of all white persons are blood group A(2).
We have developed a method for genotyping the ABO locus that takes the
O-2 and A(2) alleles into account. Typing for AZ and O-2 by diagnosti
c restriction enzyme digestion is a sensitive, nonradioactive assay th
at provides a convenient method useful for forensic and paternity test
ing and for clarifying anomalous serological results. (C) 1996 Wiley-L
iss, Inc.