Histocompatibility Committee Fall 2017

Recent Public Comment Proposals Histocompatibility Bylaws and Policies Guidance Document Clarifies OPTN/UNOS bylaws and policies Board Approved: June 6, 2017 Available on OPTN website: https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/resources/guidance/policy-and-bylaws-guidance-for-labs/ The board approved the Histocompatibility Bylaws and Policies guidance document at their June meeting this year. The guidance document gives members information on best practices and clarifies current OPTN policies and bylaws that are applicable to histocompatibility laboratories. You can find it on the OPTN website.

Policy Implementation Dates Adding DQA1 Equivalency Table (2016) New table in policy will identify relationship between parent unacceptable antigens and corresponding allelic subtypes Implementation Date: August 29, 2017 Annual Update to Equivalency Tables (2015) Adds alleles to HLA antigen dropdown options in UNet Changes HLA-DPB, HLA-DQA, and HLA-DQB references in policy to HLA-DPB1, HLA-DQA1, and HLA-DQB1 Adds dropdown values to DR51, DR52, DR53 The Committee agreed to combine the implementation efforts for both the DQA1 and 2015 approved equivalency table updates to make the implementation process go more smoothly for the members and IT. Both projects will go live in UNet on August 29th, 2017.

Committee Projects Review of HLA Equivalency Tables (2016) Creates an unacceptable antigen equivalency table for HLA-DPB1 Updates existing tables Public comment next cycle: July 31, 2017 – October 2, 2017 Addressing HLA Typing Errors in DonorNet® POC/Executive Committee approved June 2017 Continuing to examine discrepant results and refine IT solution The Committee has one proposal going out for public comment in July. This project provides more updates to the existing equivalency tables, and creates a DPB1 unacceptable antigen equivalency table. Currently, DPB1 only exists in the dropdowns within UNet, and the Committee agreed that an unacceptable antigen equivalency table that shows the equivalences for the G alleles is needed. The POC and Executive Committee recently approved the Committee’s project to investigate ways to prevent HLA typing errors – specifically transcriptional errors – in UNet. The Committee is actively working on this project and hopes to produce a document for public comment in 2018.

Questions? Robert Bray, Ph.D., D(ABHI), HCLD/CC(ABB) Committee Chair rbray@emory.edu Alison Wilhelm Committee Liaison alison.wilhelm@unos.org