Swine lymphocyte alloantigens (SLA) class I serology and genetics in Belgian Landrace and Pietrain breeds.

Eighty anti-SLA class I reagents were prepared resulting from skin graft and subcutaneous immunizations in 320 fattening pigs of the Belgian Landrace and Pietrain breeds. By means of these alloantisera seven internationally and five locally established specificities were recognized. Three of the locally assigned specificities were new: BM 36, BM 37 and BM 38. They were serologically and genetically defined. The typing battery was completed with French and Danish reagents, and correlation coefficients were calculated for the main alloantisera recognizing SLA class I alloantigens observed in the Belgian breeds. The SLA haplotype frequencies were estimated in 372 Belgian Landrace and 369 Pietrain pigs. The SLA haplotype distribution differs significantly between both breeds and the genetic distance (0.54) at the SLA system is quite high.