Identification of seven novel HLA class I alleles in New Zealand

Seven new HLA class I alleles have been identified in the New Zealand population in the process of routine HLA typing and they are described here. Unusual bead positivity in Luminex typing identified potential new alleles in a bone marrow registry donor (B*40:285) and two HIV patients prior to abacavir prescription (B*14:02:09, B*41:29). In addition, four new class I alleles were identified through class I sequencing-based typing (SBT) outside of exons 2 and 3. One mutation was identified in exon 4 (new allele C*12:125) and three have been found in exon 5, an exon rarely sequenced. Two stem cell transplant recipients (B*07:02:45, C*03:279) had novel mutations in exon 5 and one was found in exon 5 of a potentially matched unrelated donor from DKMS, previously thought to be B*40:02:01 (B*40:303).