A reliable method for high-resolution HLA-DQB1 typing using a combination o
f PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and PCR-single strand
conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis is described. The second exon of
the DQB1 gene was subjected to PCR using generic primers and digested with
two restriction enzymes, MspA1I and HaeIII, and the DQB1 alleles were divi
ded into seven groups. According to the RFLP patterns, appropriate group sp
ecific primers for DQ5, 6 and DQ2, 3, 4 groups were used to selectively amp
lify the alleles and the SSCP technique was used to distinguish the individ
ual alleles. A total of 88 quality control samples of various ethnic groups
distributed in the International Cell Exchange and HLA DNA Exchange progra
ms and the ASHI/CAP Proficiency Tests were investigated by the PCR-RFLP/SSC
P method. The concordance between our typing results and the consensus resu
lts of the surveys were 100%, and a total of 14 DQB1 alleles in 49 homozygo
us and heterozygous combinations were all correctly identified by the metho
d described. This method is accurate, economical and relatively easy to int
erpret and well suit-ed for routine clinical and research uses. (C) America
n Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, 1999. Published by Els
evier Science Inc.