Analysis of ambiguities in HLA sequencing-based typing and its solutions

Abstract

To investigate the number and ratio of ambiguous allele combinations from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) confirmatory test by sequencing based typing for unrelated donor marrow transplantation, and to establish an efficient strategy for identifying such ambiguities. A total of 650 donor-receipt samples were genotyped for 5 loci of the HLA gene using an Atria SBT commercial kit. Exons 2, 3 and 4 of HLA-A, -B and -C, exon 2 of HLA-DRB1 and exons 2 and 3 of HLA-DQB1 were tested by routine HLA genotyping. The ratio of usual ambiguous allele combination was calculated. The ambiguities were subjected to further confirmatory test by PCR-SSP or PCR-SBT retest at outside of the routine sequencing region. Among the 650 tested samples, the ratio of ambiguity at HLA-A, B, C, DRB1 and DQB1 were 76.31% (496/650), 91.08% (592/650), 97.69% (635/650), 88.62% (576/650) and 43.38% (141/650), respectively. A total of 36 ambiguous allele combinations inside the routine sequencing region and 22 ambiguous allele combinations outside of the routine sequencing region were discovered. After removing rare alleles based on the Chinese common and well documented (CWD) Allele Table (Version 1.01), 9 ambiguous CWD allele combinations inside the routine sequencing region, including 3 located in HLA-B, HLA-C and 1 located in other three HLA loci were found. Ten ambiguous CWD allele combinations outside of the routine sequencing region, including 4 located in HLA-C, -DRB1 and 1 in HLA-A, -B respectively were determined. All samples with ambiguous CWD allele combinations could be distinguished by high-resolution PCR-SSP commercial kits or PCR SBT retest at outside of the routine sequencing region. The common and well documented allele combinations in sequencing-based typing at five HLA loci have been analyzed. Our strategy may provide valuable information for more efficient, low cost and accurate method for high resolution genotyping of HLA genes.