Diagnosis: HLA Typing: Stem Cell Transplantation
• Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching of stem cell recipients and donors is essential for the success of stem cell transplantation.
• Molecular methods using genomic DNA analysis are used to identify the HLA type of stem cell transplant recipients and donors. These methods include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing based methods.
• Low-resolution HLA typing methods provide generic, antigen-level HLA typing data. Such methods use PCR-based techniques.
• High-resolution HLA typing methods provide allele-level HLA typing data. Such methods use PCR- and DNA sequencing–based techniques.
• The types of tissues most often used for HLA typing of stem cell recipients and donors are peripheral blood, umbilical cord, bone marrow, and buccal swabs.
• HLA laboratories performing HLA typing for stem cell transplantation follow the guidelines of the National Marrow Donor Registry.
