A novel HLA-B allele, B*5612, identified by sequence-based typing method.

HLA-B*5612, found in Taiwan using sequence-based typing method, was identical to HLA-B*5502 in exon 2 but differed in exon 3 by 10 nucleotide substitutions at positions 353–420 leading to five amino acid change at codon 94, 95, 97, 103 and 116. As this sequence motif was not found in the Asian population, it is likely that HLA-B*5612 is the product of a complex mechanism of implying a dual gene conversion event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]