Identification of a novel DQB1 allele DBQ1*0616.

We report here a novel DQB1 allele (DQB10616) identified during sequence-based HLA typing. Polymerase chain reaction with proofreading Pwo DNA polymerase and pfu DNA polymerase and subsequent sequencing yielded identical results as that with Taq DNA polymerase. Molecular cloning and sequencing confirmed that the new DQB1 allele is identical to DQB10602 at exon 2 except for a single nucleotide substitution (TAC-->AAC), changing codon 60 from Tyr to Asn. This is the first report of polymorphism of DQB1 alleles at codon 60.