Identification of a novel HLA-A allele, A*11:60, in a Taiwanese family

We report the identification and sequence analysis of a new HLA-A11* variant, A*11:60 allele, found in a Taiwanese leukaemic patient and his siblings. The novel A*11 variant is identical to A*11:03 in exon 2 but differs from A*11:03 in exon 3 by one nucleotide substitution at position 527 (A→T) causing an amino acid change at codon 152 E (Glu)→V (Val) (GAG→GTG). In comparison with HLA-A*11:01:01, allele A*11:60 has two nucleotide differences in exon 3: at nt 524 (A→G) (CAT→CGT) and at nt 527 (C→T) (GCG→GTG) leading to two amino acid variations at residues 151 H (His)→R (Arg) and 152 A (Ala)→V (Val).