HLA-DRB3 typing by restriction digestion of locus-specific amplified DNA

Locus HLA-DRB3 codes for the serologically defined supertypic specificity DRw52 in HLA-DR3, -5 and -w6 haplotypes. Three specificities of DRw52 (DRw52a, -b and -c) can further be distinguished by cellular techniques or by DNA typing with allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. These specificities were recently reported to have significant importance in antigen presentation. To avoid a time-consuming hybridization procedure, we have developed a simple typing system using PCR and subsequent digestion by allele-specific restriction endonucleases. A system was established with locus-specific amplification of HLA-DRB3 and digestion by the enzymes KpnI, ScaI and HinfI which recognize unique restriction sites within the amplified region. This allowed HLA-DRB3 typing on agarose gel by determining whether the amplification product has been digested or not. This typing system was compared to conventional oligotyping by analyzing 145 RFLP-typed individuals for their DRw52 specificity using both methods. Agarose typing correlated well with oligotyping and was shown to be more simple and practical even in heterozygous individuals.