PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Won, Eun Jeong
AU  - Park, Hye Ryoen
AU  - Park, Tae Sung
AU  - Oh, Seung Hwan
AU  - Shin, Myung Geun
AU  - Shin, Jong Hee
AU  - Suh, Soon Pal
AU  - Ryang, Dong Wook
AU  - Park, Jong Tae
AU  - Cho, Duck
TI  - Amplification refractory mutation system-PCR is essential for the detection of chimaeras with a minor allele population: a case report
AID  - 10.1136/jclinpath-2012-201355
DP  - 2013 May 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 446--448
VI  - 66
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/66/5/446.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/66/5/446.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol2013 May 01; 66
AB  - Blood chimaera is a rare but important issue for immunohaematology laboratories. Several molecular approaches, such as ABO genotyping, human leucocyte antigen (HLA) typing and DNA short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, have been used to identify chimaerism. Unfortunately, the minor allele population can be overlooked by PCR-based methods, which preferentially amplify the major allele population. A case with AweakB (AwB), demonstrating a mixed-field pattern, was sent to our laboratory for further evaluation. Direct sequencing of ABO exons 6 and 7 revealed a B101/O02 genotype. Analysis of the 12 STR loci and HLA typing did not provide any evidence of chimaerism. However, amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR identified the minor A102 allele in addition to B101/O02. Three alleles of the chimaera were confirmed by cloning and sequencing. Thus, ARMS-PCR is essential, especially in the case of a chimaera with a minor allele population.