Human Leukocyte Antigen B*57:01, Abacavir Hypersensitivity HLA Association Test

Additional Information:

Abacavir hypersensitivity has been shown to be associated with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B*57:01 of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The MHC family of genes codes for a highly variable set of cell surface glycoproteins (HLAs) that play a critical role in presenting antigens to T cell receptors to elicit an immune response. The presence of the HLA-B*57:01 allele increases the susceptibility to abacavir hypersensitivity in several populations studied.

CPT Code(s):

81381

Specimen Requirements:

Type: Whole blood or buccal swabs
Container/Tube: Lavender-top tube (EDTA) or four buccal swabs
  • Centrifuge the specemin within 24 hours of collection. Transfer the plasma to a screw-cap polypropylene transport tube. Ship specimens to the lab frozen (preferred). To avoid delays in turnaround time when requesting multiple tests on frozen samples, submit a separate frozen specimen for each test requested.

Sample Volume: 7 mL whole blood or four buccal swabs

Minimum Volume: 3 mL whole blood or four buccal swabs

Storage: Store blood/buccal swab specimens at room temperature. If used, ensure that the buccal swabs stay dry in storage.
Rejection Criteria:

  • Hemolysis
  • Clotted specimen
  • Insufficient amount of DNA on buccal swabs

Use:

This test is used to determine the presence of B57 antigen.

Limitations

Even with appropriate precautions, an occasional specimen may not be satisfactory for testing. In such cases, an additional specimen should be collected for testing.

Methodology:


Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/Sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (SSOP); This is a class I allele-specific test.