HLA-DR and HLA-DQ typing

a comparative study using serology and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis

Abstract

Serology has been used for HLA typing for many decades; however, serological typing of histocompatibility class II molecules depends on the adequate expression of these molecules on the surface of B lymphocytes, the availability of viable cells and a complete set of antisera. HLA typing at the genomic level has supplanted these pitfalls. The utilization of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was the first approach to the HLA typing at molecular level. Although serology and RFLP methods define HLA specificities at low resolution level, RFLP has been considered to be better than serology. In this study, we performed HLA class II (HLA-DR and DQ) typing comparing these two methods.