Overview of HLA DNA typing technology

Abstract

HLA typing in donors and recipients is important because HLA compatibility has a significant impact on transplantation and platelet transfusion in HLA antibody-positive cases. In the past, serological tests were performed by the LCT method, but now DNA typing is mainstream. Currently, methods such as PCR-SSP, PCR-rSSO, PCR-SBT, and NGS-SBT are used in clinical laboratory and research fields. They have advantages and disadvantages in quickness, multi-sample processing capacity, resolution, cost, etc., and are selected according to the purpose. With the advent of commercially available DNA typing reagents, it has become easier to implement, but there are still issues in interpreting results, such as the divergence with serological results due to the null gene and ambiguity. HLA typing is a fundamental technology that is needed not only in transplantation and blood transfusion, but also in the fields of drug selection for cancer vaccines, disease association, drug adverse effects such as severe drug eruption, and infection protection, and is expected to become even more important in the future.