Talk:Human leukocyte antigen

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Article Grading: The following comments were left by the quality and importance raters: (edit · history · refresh · how to use this template) I'm sitting in an HLA lab, and they receive yellow top tubes. Just call and ask your HLA lab if you're unsure about what to send.

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[edit] This

This article unfortunately gives the impression that HLA typing is no longer really necessary. As a leukaemia patient awaiting a match for a bone marrow transplant, HLA typing is still very necessary for marrow/stem cell matching when looking at a donated immune system. The closer the match, the less need for immunosuppressive drugs, which in many ways are counterproductive when dealing with a new immune system. Additionally, a better match reduces the possibility of Graft vs. Host Disease, in which the T-cells from the donor can attack the recipient, mistaking the recipient for a foreign body.

Answer: I don't know why you say that it gives the impression typing is not neccesary. Typing is obviously important in transplantation and identifying self versus non-self, in identifying those at risk for EATL and for confirmation of GSE when biopsy is negative. What do you think should be added? - PRD

[edit] How to collect Blood Sample for HLA Typing?

I need to collect the blood sample of the recipient and the donor for HLA Typing and Cross Match and transport it to another city. Can somebody guide me on which medium to collect the samples in, whether anticoagulants are required or not and whether I need serum or whole blood? Thank You.[REMOVED]

Answer: For HLA typing it is recommend to have about 10 mls of blood. When I surveyed HLA DQA1 and DQB1 typically 300 microliter to 1.5 millliliter per patient per test, so that safely per typing analysis one needs about 3.0 mls for DQ typing about the same for DR (as the test is considerably larger). The blood should be taken into a vacutainer (Light Blue, Sodium Citrate 3.2%) and is stable if kept at 4'C for a long period of time. 4'C can be obtain on slightly wet ice, or wet ice 0'C but freezing is not good becuase it lyses the cells. I have found that with older individuals more cells are required, so if you are over 50 plan on giving the entire amount of 10 mls. [BTW don't use heparin, green topped tubes, heparin interferes with DNA collection and PCR] 10/1/2006 - prd

I'm sitting in an HLA lab that receives yellow top tubes exclusively (they've never seen blue tops here) so call your HLA lab and check with them before you send your sample. They're very nice people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.133.139.5 (talk) 13:30, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Introduction

I think this article needs a new introduction, understandable to a general reader. I didn't get a clear indication that HLAs are actually part of the human immune system until the section on HLA Functions where it describes the function of HLA in the process of helping the T-cells to identify non-self, infected, and tumor cells via surface antigens. It's sorta part of the immune system's IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) subsystem, as it were. Yes, this is simplistic, but I think that many readers who aren't familiar with cellular biology might need an Issac Asimov type explanation, at least initially. I already knew HLA's importance to the immune system functioning before reading this article, but others that come across the term elsewhere may be looking to find out what a HLA is, what it does, and it's importance to us. Becksguy 14:14, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

The article has been reorganized, the a small description of function has been made in the header, and the function subsection has been brought forward. Illustrations of HLA MHC Class I and II have been added.Pdeitiker 03:56, 7 July 2007 (UTC)