Diversity and evolution of the DRB1*03 family: description of DRB1*03022,*0307,*0308.

Three previously unreported DRB103 alleles are described, adding to the diversity of the DRB1 family of alleles. DRB103022 contains a silent substitution at codon 77. DRB10307 differs from DRB103011 by a substitution at codon 26 resulting in a predicted change from tyrosine to phenylalanine. DRB10308 is almost identical to DRB103011 differing at codon 58 which specifies the glutamic acid residue commonly found in DRB111 alleles. The new alleles (DRB103022,*0307,*0308) may have arisen by gene conversion-like events and add to the increasing complexity of the HLA system.