Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW)
Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW) includes two columns for search determinants. One for validating serology and DNA, and one for assigning a SD from a DNA typing. When validating a donor with serology A26 and DNA-A*3401, you would not report this as a problem. Based on the three resources mentioned below, we have one column with the combination 26(10)/34(10)/66(10) for the allele A*3401. So a combination of either of these three antigens with this allele would be ok. When assigning a SD for a donor or patient without any serology in its history, we look in a second column. This column has a 34(10) for the A*3401. So the SD for this donor or patient would be A34.The column for validating serology and DNA is built based on the following three resources:
- Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system web site
- NMDP multiple allele code list
- WMDA HLA DNA-Serology Dictionary
The following example explains why we need two columns – one for extracting search determinants, and one for validating serology (or serologic equivalents/determinants) and DNA data. Allele B*4016 has a WHO assigned equivalent of B61(40) in the WMDA HLA Dictionary. In our tables we have a B60(40) / B61(40) - meaning B60(40) or B61(40) - since we included the UCLA and NMDP information from the Dictionary, which states that in one third of the cases the B*4016 is assigned as B60. When extracting one search determinant for this allele, our software would assign B40 for B*4016 (based on B60(40) or B61(40)). When extracting a search determinant for a patient that is of course not what we want - a B61 should be assigned. For this purpose we need a separate column which is more precise. However, if a donor or patient is submitted with the combination B*4016 and B61, we would not want to reject this submission as an error, since in many cases the B*4016 is a B61. For these kinds of validations, we would need the second column.
Website: http://www.bmdw.org/