Identification of a novel HLA‐DRB1 allele

350 Abstract: We report here a novel DRB1 allele identified during sequencebased HLA-DRB typing. This allele was detected during routine HLA typing of a patient and his family prior to bone marrow transplantation. The new allele, DRB1*0108, was found in the patient and in a brother. Molecular cloning and sequencing confirmed that the new DRB1 allele is identical to DRB1*0101 at exon 2 except for a single nucleotide substitution at codon 37 (TCC»TAC), changing the encoded serine to tyrosine. This position of the b1 domain lies in the floor of the antigen-binding groove and shows the highest polymorphism among DRB1 alleles.