title: Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor genotyping and HLA killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor-ligand identification by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The effector function of natural killer (NK) cells is modulated by surface expression of a range of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) that interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. We describe the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that allow easy and quick detection of 16 KIR genes and the presence/absence of KIR-ligands based on allelic discrimination at codon 80 in the HLA-A/B Bw4 and HLA-C C1/C2 genes. These methods overcome the tedious and expensive nature of conventional KIR genotyping and HLA class I typing using sequence-specific primer (SSP) PCR, sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) hybridization or sequence-based typing (SBT). Using these two cost-effective assays, we measured the frequencies of KIRs, KIR-ligands and KIR/KIR-ligand pairs in a cohort of Black women recruited in South Africa.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Virus Research Unit, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Loubser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Assis Rosa
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naranbhai
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paximadis
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tiemessen
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gray
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D005838:Genotype; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D006680:HLA Antigens; D054340:Receptors, KIR; D004247:DNA