Open AccessKiller‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor genotyping and HLA killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor‐ligand identification by real‐time polymerase chain reaction
Author(s) -
Hong H. A.,
Loubser A. S.,
de Assis Rosa D.,
Naranbhai V.,
Carr W.,
Paximadis M.,
Lewis D. A.,
Tiemessen C. T.,
Gray C. M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
tissue antigens
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1399-0039
pISSN - 0001-2815
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-0039.2011.01749.x
Subject(s) - genotyping , human leukocyte antigen , polymerase chain reaction , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , oligonucleotide , typing , primer (cosmetics) , antibody , gene , genotype , receptor , immunology , genetics , antigen , chemistry , organic chemistry
The effector function of natural killer (NK) cells is modulated by surface expression of a range of killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs) that interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. We describe the use of real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that allow easy and quick detection of 16 KIR genes and the presence/absence of KIR‐ligands based on allelic discrimination at codon 80 in the HLA‐A/B Bw4 and HLA‐C C1/C2 genes. These methods overcome the tedious and expensive nature of conventional KIR genotyping and HLA class I typing using sequence‐specific primer (SSP) PCR, sequence‐specific oligonucleotide (SSO) hybridization or sequence‐based typing (SBT). Using these two cost‐effective assays, we measured the frequencies of KIRs, KIR‐ligands and KIR/KIR‐ligand pairs in a cohort of Black women recruited in South Africa.