A single nucleotide deletion in exon 3 of the HLA-C*07:02:01:01 allele produces a novel HLA-C*07 null allele, HLA-C*07:393N

A single nucleotide deletion in HLA-C*07:02:01:01 results in a novel null allele, HLA-C*07:393N.

HLA-A*02:541, a novel variant of HLA-A*02, discovered in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

Two nucleotide changes at residue 524 and residue 527 of HLA-A*02:07:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-A*02:541.

Identification of a novel HLA-DRB1*04 null allele, HLA-DRB1*04:178N

A single nucleotide insertion in codon 77 of HLA-DRB*04:05:01 results in a null allele, HLA-DRB1*04:178N.

HLA-B*46:60, a novel variant of HLA-B*46:01:01, detected in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor by sequence-based typing

One nucleotide replacement at residue 89 of HLA-B*46:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-B*46:60.

HLA-A*24:287, a novel variant of HLA-A*24:02:01:01, discovered in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide replacement in codon 182 of HLA-A*24:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-A*24:287.

HLA-A*02:510, a variant of HLA-A*02, discovered in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

Two nucleotide changes in codon 116 (TAC → TTA) of HLA-A*02:01:01:01 result in a novel allele, HLA-A*02:510.

HLA-C*07:375, a variant of HLA-C*07, detected in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide exchange in codon 20 of HLA-A*07:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-C*07:375.

Search for a light sterile neutrino at Daya Bay

A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment. The experiment's unique configuration of multiple baselines from six 2.9 GW(th) nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10(-3) eV(2)<|Δm(41)(2) |< 0.3 eV(2) range. The relative spectral distortion due to the disappearance of electron antineutrinos was found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. The derived limits on sin(2) 2θ(14) cover the 10(-3) eV(2) ≲ |Δm(41)(2)| ≲ 0.1 eV(2) region, which was largely unexplored.

Discovery of HLA-A*11:167, a variant of HLA-A*11, in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide replacement in codon 57 of HLA-A*11:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-A*11:167.

An HLA-A*11 variant, A*11:166, revealed in a Taiwanese unrelated bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide replacement in codon 35 of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-A*11:01:01 results in a new allele, HLA-A*11:166.

HLA-A*02:466, a variant of HLA-A*02, discovered in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide replacement at residue 228 of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-A*02:03:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-A*02:466.

HLA-A*11:165, a variant of HLA-A*11, discovered in a Taiwanese unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donor

One nucleotide replacement in codon 145 (CGC>AGC) of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-A*11:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA-A*11:165.

A single nucleotide insertion in exon 2 produces a novel HLA-B*13 null allele, HLA-B*13:63N

A single nucleotide insertion in codon 171 of the human leukocyte antigen HLA-B*13:01:01 results in a novel null allele, HLA-B*13:63N.

Discovery of the novel HLA-DRB1*10:04 allele in a Taiwanese volunteer bone marrow donor and identification of the probable HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 haplotype in association with DRB1*10:04

We report here a novel variant of HLA-DRB1*10, DRB1*10:04, discovered in a Taiwanese volunteer bone marrow donor by a sequence-based typing (SBT) method. The DNA sequence of DRB1*10:04 differs from DRB1*10:01:01, in exon 2, at nucleotide positions 296 (G fi A) and 303 (T fi G). The nucleotide changes caused an amino acid substitution at amino acid residue 70 (R fi Q). We hypothesize that the formation of DRB1*10:04 was probably the result of a gene recombination event where DRB1*10:01:01 received a minimum length of DNA sequence from DRB1*04:05:01, as the sequence of DRB1*10:04 is identical to DRB1*10:01:01 in exon 2 except the sequence from nucleotide 296 to nucleotide 303, which is identical to DRB1*04:05:01. The plausible HLA-A, -B, -C and - DRB1 haplotypes in association with DRB1*10:04 was deduced as A*01:01-B*37:01-C*06:02-DRB1*10:04.

Discovery of the rare HLA-B*39:77 allele in an unrelated Taiwanese bone marrow stem cell donor using the sequence-based typing method

We detected a rare HLA-B locus allele, B*39:77, in a Taiwanese unrelated marrow stem cell donor in our routine HLA sequence-based typing (SBT) exercise for a possible haematopoietic stem cell donation. In exons 2, 3 and 4, the DNA sequence of B*39:77 is identical to the sequence of B*39:01:01:01 except one nucleotide at nucleotide position 733 (G->A) in exon 4. The nucleotide variation caused one amino acid alteration at residue 221 (Gly->Ser). B*39:77 was probably derived from a nucleotide substitution event involving B*39:01:01:01. The probable HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 haplotype in association with B*39:77 may be deduced as A*02:01-B*39:77-C*07:02-DRB1*08:03-DQB1*06:01. Our discovery of B*39:77 in Taiwanese adds further polymorphism of B*39 variants in Taiwanese population.

Identification of the novel HLA-B*40:221 allele in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor using a sequence-based typing method

Using DNA sequence-based typing method, we found a new HLA-B*40 variant, B*40:221, in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor. The allele sequence of B*40:221 is identical to the sequence of B*40:01:01 in exons 2, 3 and 4 except the nucleotides at codon 265 (GGG→AGG). The sequence variation caused one amino acid exchange at residue 265 where Gly was replaced by Arg. The probable HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 and -DQB1 haplotype in association with B*40:221 may be deduced as HLA-A*11:01-B*40:221-C*03:04-DRB1*14:54-DQB1*05:02. The generation of B*40:221 is thought as a result of a nucleotide point mutation involving B*40:01:01. Our discovery of B*40:221 increases the polymorphism of B*40 in Taiwanese.

A conserved HLA-A*02:28 associated HLA haplotype, A*02:28-B*15:11-DRB1*09:01, restricted to Taiwanese

HLA-A*02:28, found in a Korean and a Japanese, was reported independently to the IMGT/HLA database in 2003 and 2005, respectively. We report here eight Taiwanese unrelated bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell donors carrying A*02:28 detected during our routine HLA typing exercise. The probable HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 haplotype in association with A*02:28 may be deduced from the eight marrow stem cell donor as A*02:28-B*15:11-DRB1*09:01. Our result suggests A*02:28-B*15:11-DRB1*09:01 is a conserved HLA haplotype restricted to Taiwanese.

Discovery of HLA-DRB1*03:20 allele in a Taiwanese volunteer hematopoietic stem cell donor and the probable HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 haplotype in association with DRB1*03:20

The allele HLA-DRB1*03:20, a variant of DRB1*03, was first reported to the IMGT HLA database in April 2001 without indication on the ethnicity of the blood donor (Cell ID: HC 125775). We found a Taiwanese volunteer hematopoietic stem cell donor carries DRB1*03:20 by a sequence-based typing (SBT) method. The DNA sequence of DRB1*03:20 is identical to the sequence of DRB1*03:01:01 in exon 2, except a nucleotide substitution at position 341(T→C) (GTT→GCT at codon 85). The nucleotide replacement produced an amino acid variation at residue 85 (V→A). We hypothesize that DRB1*03:20 was probably derived from DRB1*03:01:01 via a nucleotide point mutation event. The probable HLA haplotype in association with DRB1*03:20 was deduced as A*11:02-B*58:01-C*07:02-DRB1*03:20. We here report the Taiwanese/Chinese ethnicity of DRB1*03:20.

Identification of the novel HLA-B*13:02:13 allele in a Taiwanese haematopoietic stem cell donor and the probable HLA haplotype in association with B*13:02:13

Using sequence-based typing method, we found a new HLA-B*13:02 variant, B*13:02:13, in a Taiwanese haematopoietic stem cell donor. The DNA sequence of B*13:02:13 is identical to the sequence of B*13:02:01 in exons 2 and 3 except the nucleotide at position 588 where G is replaced by T (codon 172; CTG→CTT). The DNA sequence variation did not alter the amino acid sequence of B*13:02:01. The generation of B*13:02:13 is thought to derive from B*13:02:01 as a result of a silence mutation. The probable HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 haplotype in association with B*13:02:1 may be deduced as HLA-A*24-B*13:02:13-DRB1*07:01 or HLA-A*02-B*13:02:13-DRB1*07:01. The discovery of B*13:02:13 furthers the polymorphism of HLA-B*13 and HLA-B*13:02.

Recognition of a Caucasoid HLA-B locus allele, B*44:55, in a Taiwanese/Chinese bone marrow stem cell donor

We detected a Caucasoid HLA-B allele, HLA-B*44:55, in a potential Taiwanese/Chinese bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell donor during our routine HLA SBT (sequence-based typing) practice. The sequence of B*44:55 varies with B*44:02:01:01 with one nucleotide in exon 2 at position 97 (T->C), while it differs from B*44:03:01 with one nucleotide in exon 2 at position 97 (T->C) and three nucleotides in exon 3 at residues 538-540 (CTG->GAC). The nucleotide replacements caused one amino acid variation with B*44:02:01:01 at residue 9 (Y->H) and two amino acid variations with B*44:03:01 at residue 9 (Y->H) and residue 156 (L->D). The formation of B*44:55 is probably the result of a nucleotide substitution involving B*44:02:01:01 at position 97 (T->C). The Taiwanese/Chinese donor with B*44:55 claims having no kinship with Caucasian. Our speculations on the origin of the Taiwanese/Chinese B*44:55 will be presented.

Detection of the rare HLA-B*40:97 allele in an unrelated Taiwanese bone marrow donor

We detected a rare HLA-B locus allele, B*40:97, in a Taiwanese unrelated donor in our routine HLA SBT (sequence-based typing) exercise for a possible hematopoietic stem cell donation. In exons 2, 3 and 4, the sequence of B*40:97 is identical to the sequence of B*40:02:01 except one nucleotide at nucleotide position 760 (C->T) in exon 4. The nucleotide variation caused one amino acid alteration at residue 230 (L->F). B*40:97 was probably derived from a nucleotide substitution event where C was replaced by T at nucleotide 760 involving B*40:02:01. The HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 haplotype in association with B*40:97 may be deduced as A*26:01-B*40:97-C*03:03-DRB1*11:01-DQB1*03:03. Our recognition of B*40:97 in Taiwanese helps to fill the void of ethnic information for the allele B*40:97 reported to the IMGT/HLA Database.

Recognition of HLA-A*24:137 allele in a Taiwanese unrelated bone marrow stem cell donor and the plausible HLA haplotype associated with A*24:137

We detected a rare HLA-A*24:137 allele in an unrelated Taiwanese haematopoietic stem cell donor during a routine SBT (sequence-based typing) HLA typing exercise. The DNA sequence of A*24:137 is identical to the sequence of A*24:02:01:01 in exons 2 and 3 except at codon 21 where CGC was replaced with CAA. The DNA variation caused an amino acid alteration at amino acid residue 21 (R->Q). The HLA haplotype in association with A*24:137 may be deduced as A*24:137-B*15-DRB1*14. The formation of A*24:137 was probably the result of a nucleotide point mutation involving A*24:02:01:01. It remains to be determined whether A*24:137 is restricted to Taiwanese/Chinese ethnicity.

Identification of the novel HLA allele, HLA-B*40:159, in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor and the probable HLA haplotype in an association with B*40:159

Using a sequence-based typing method, we found a new HLA-B*40 variant, B*40:159, in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor. The sequence of B*40:159 is identical to the sequence of B*40:06:01:01 in exons 2 and 3 except the nucleotides at positions 412 (A → G) and 429 (A → C). The sequence variation caused two amino acid exchanges at residue 114 (N → D) and residue 116 (Y → S). The probable HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C and HLA-DRB1 haplotype in association with B*40:159 may be deduced as HLA-A*02:06-B*40:159-C*08:01-DRB1*08:03. The generation of B*40:159 is thought as the result of a sequence recombination event where B*46:01:01:01, B*15:01:01 or B*15:02:01 donated a minimum length of the DNA sequence from residue 412 to residue 419 to the recipient sequence of B*40:06:01:01.