Unexpected Bw4 and Bw6 reactivity patterns in new alleles

The Bw4 and Bw6 epitopes were the first HLA-B differences to be recognized by serological methods. Since then 44 serological groups have been identified and more than 250 alleles assigned by molecular typing methods. In general each serological HLA-B group is associated with the presence of either the Bw4 or the Bw6 epitope. There are several exceptions to this rule. Four alleles, B*4601, *7301, *5503 and *1806, show no serological reactivity with either Bw4 or Bw6. Although the Bw6 motif at residues 77-83 is present in these alleles the Bw6 epitope is modified by a valine at residue 76. One or more alleles from the B8, B40 and B62 groups are identified as Bw4 positive, whereas all others are Bw6 positive. In the groups B27, B44 and B47 several alleles are found to be Bw6 positive, while the majority is Bw4 positive. Histocompatibility testing of dialysis patients and their families revealed the serological presence of an unexpected Bw4 epitope associated with B18 in one patient and B56 in another. Allele-specific amplification and sequencing of exons 2 and 3 of these HLA-B alleles revealed the presence of the Bw4 sequence motif for both. The new alleles were assigned B*1809 and B*5607, respectively. In 2 other patients the presence of a new B*07 allele was determined by sequence based typing. Although the new allele, B*0715, showed the Bw6 sequence motif at positions 77 to 83, a substitution of amino acid 76 from glutamic acid to valine was identified. This change resulted in an aberrant Bw6 serological reaction pattern.