HLA genes are the most polymorphic in the human genome. High resolution HLA typing from 13,870 bone marrow donors in Hong Kong was obtained using Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Among the 67 novel alleles identified, official HLA allele names of 50 novel class I alleles (HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C) and 8 novel class II alleles (HLA‐DRB1, ‐DQB1) were assigned by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System.

BackgroundUrine from kidney transplant recipient has proven to be a viable source for donor DNA. However, an optimized protocol would be required to determine mis-matched donor HLA specificities in view of the scarcity of DNA obtained in some cases.MethodsIn this study, fresh early morning urine specimens were obtained from 155 kidney transplant recipients with known donor HLA phenotype. DNA was extracted and typing of HLA-A, B and DRB1 loci by polymerase chain reaction-specific sequence primers was performed using tailor-made condition according to the concentration of extracted DNA.ResultsHLA typing of DNA extracted from urine revealed both recipient and donor HLA phenotypes, allowing the deduction of the unknown donor HLA and hence the degree of HLA mis-match. By adopting the modified procedures, mis-matched donor HLA phenotypes were successfully deduced in all of 35 tested urine samples at DNA quantities spanning the range of 620–24,000 ng.ConclusionsThis urine-based method offers a promising and reliable non-invasive means for the identification of mis-matched donor HLA antigens in kidney transplant recipients with unknown donor HLA phenotype or otherwise inadequate donor information.

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