Human platelet antigen 1 (HPA 1) genotyping with 5' nuclease assay and sequence-specific primers reveals a single nucleotide deletion in intron 2 of the HPA 1a allele of platelet glycoprotein IIIa.

We have established a 5' nuclease assay (5' NA) for human platelet antigen (HPA) 1a/b allelic discrimination. The assay is based on the simultaneous amplification and detection of the two targets in a one-tube system. The results are read optically, immediately after termination of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and no post-PCR processing is necessary. This genotyping procedure is less time-consuming and cheaper than our conventional sequence-specific primer PCR (SSP-PCR), which is run as a two-tube test, with verification of the results after electrophoresis in agarose gel. The reduction of analytical steps, simplification of the procedure and potential for automation were important advantages for our choice of system. This test system is more suitable for large-scale testing and fits better for our screening programme for HPA 1bb determination. DNA from 1093 individuals were tested in parallel with the SSP-PCR and the 5' NA. One thousand and ninety-one samples gave identical results in SSP-PCR and 5' NA. Upon repeated testing, two samples consistently came out as HPA 1bb in SSP-PCR and HPA 1ab in 5' NA. DNA sequencing revealed a defect located in an intronic area that corresponds to the consensus primer used for the SSP-PCR HPA 1a typing.