Short Description

A high resolution typing result is defined as a set of alleles that specify and encode the same protein sequence for the peptide binding region of an HLA molecule and that excludes alleles that are not expressed as cell surface proteins. This test is used for HLA typing at a minimum of 4 digits in Bone Marrow Transplants.

PreTest Information

Detail Description

What is HLA?

HLA stands for human leukocyte antigens. HLA are proteins or markers on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses HLA to see which cells belong in your body and which do not. The proteins encoded by HLAs are those on the outer part of body cells that are (in effect) unique to that person. The immune system uses the HLAs to differentiate self-cells and non-self-cells. Any cell displaying that person's HLA type belongs to that person and, therefore, is not an invader.

HLA types are inherited, and some are connected with autoimmune disorders and other diseases. People with certain HLA antigens are more likely to develop certain autoimmune diseases, such as type I diabetes ankylosing spondylitis rheumatoid arthritis celiac disease SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), myasthenia gravis inclusion body myositis Sjögren syndrome narcolepsy. 

Some HLA-mediated diseases are directly involved in the promotion of cancer. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy is associated with an increased prevalence of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma, and DR3-DQ2 homozygotes are within the highest risk group, with close to 80% of gluten-sensitive enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma cases.

How Are HLA Genes Inherited?

Because the HLA genes are located close together on your DNA, they are usually inherited as a group you inherit a whole set of colours not just one individual colour at a time. Your HLA type is composed of the set of HLA genes you inherited from your mother and the HLA genes you inherited from your father. In our analogy, the HLA genes contain information about the "colour of the strings" your cells will have.

Biological parents always share half of their HLA proteins with their children. This is also called a “half match.” Conversely, a child always is a half match with their parents. In our analogy, a child would share half of the colours on his cells with each of his parents. Siblings who share both parents are most likely to be an identical HLA match. Such siblings have a 1 in 4 chance of being a perfect HLA match (with perfectly matching coloured strings).

There is also about a one in two chance that siblings will share half of the HLA markers and be a half-match.

Because siblings only have a one in four chance of being HLA identical, it's not uncommon for people not to have anyone in their family that is a close match. For a solid organ transplant (like a kidney) that can be given by living donors, it may be worth getting HLA typing for other members of the family as well: uncles, aunts, (and more) to help find a good match. Because stem cell donations require a higher percentage of HLA matches, it is less likely that a suitable match will be found this way.

HLA Typing

HLA typing is a kind of genetic test used to identify specific individual variations in a person's immune system. The process is critical for identifying which people can safely donate bone marrow, cord blood, or an organ to a person who needs a transplant. HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen, but it is almost always referred to as HLA. HLA typing is also sometimes called HLA matching. 

What is the cost of HLA Typing?

The cost of HLA Typing is 8000 Rs

How many days does it take for reports?

For reports, it will take 12-15 working days

Is HLA Typing the Same as Blood Typing?

No. HLA is much more complicated than blood typing because there are many more HLA markers that make a person's cells unique. There are only eight basic blood types, and many people can safely receive more than one type of blood (depending on their type). To receive only blood from a person, you do not need to be an HLA match, because HLA is not present in red blood cells.