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Utilization of commercial antisera and flow cytometry in HLA-B27 typing
1St. Boniface Arthritis Research Unit, Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Abstract:
The study of large groups of individuals (from reactive arthritis epidemics, for example) for epidemiologic and genetic data has been hampered by the techniques by which HLA typing is performed. Microlymphocytotoxicity is costly not only in materials but also in the time required to perform a given assay and thus does not lend itself to large scale testing. To study such epidemics, in the best way, one must be able to respond as soon as possible after the epidemic is recognized and on a large scale. We thus examined HLA-B27 typing by flow cytometry and commercially available monoclonal antibodies. Two commercially available monoclonal HLA-B27 antibodies were compared. We conclude that the utilization of monospecific HLA-B27 antibodies and flow cytometry allows for the determination of HLA-B27 and HLA-B7 phenotype of a large number of individuals over a short period of time, thereby making the study of a large group both economical and feasible.
Insights
Flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies offers an economical and feasible method for large-scale human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing. This approach enables rapid HLA-B27 and HLA-B7 phenotyping, crucial for studying disease epidemics.
Area of Science:
- Immunogenetics
- Epidemiology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Traditional microlymphocytotoxicity HLA typing is time-consuming and expensive.
- This limits its application in large-scale genetic and epidemiologic studies, particularly during reactive arthritis epidemics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies for efficient HLA-B27 typing.
- To determine if this method is suitable for large-scale phenotyping.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of two commercially available monoclonal HLA-B27 antibodies.
- Utilizing flow cytometry for HLA-B27 and HLA-B7 phenotyping.
Main Results:
- Flow cytometry with monospecific HLA-B27 antibodies enables rapid phenotyping.
- The method proved economical and feasible for analyzing large populations.
Conclusions:
- Flow cytometry is a viable alternative for large-scale HLA typing.
- This technique facilitates timely and cost-effective genetic studies of disease outbreaks.