Dear colleagues,
There have been many developments for the IHWG and the Anthropology Component since our last update. In addition to addressing your questions and concerns, this September 2000 update contains news about the upcoming IHWG meetings at the 2000 ASHI Conference, the IHWG's new financial support, new SBT protocols, and more.
For those of you who only recently joined our project, please make sure to visit the Anthro section of the IHWG web site --http://www.ihwg.org/components/diversr.htm-- to get a thorough understanding of what we have accomplished so far.
IHWG Shared Resource Grant
As of September 2000, the IHWG has been awarded a "U24 Shared Resource" grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant has been awarded in support of the following areas of work:
* the development of new reagents,
* the establishment of a Cell & Gene Bank for maintenance of Standard Reference Cells and Reference Panels representing diverse HLA genotypes and haplotypes, standards for HLA-linked microsatellite polymorphisms, HLA-linked SNPs, cytokine and cytokine receptor gene polymorphisms, minor histocompatibility antigens and cell lines representing prototype haplotypes associated with disease susceptibility,
* the establishment of a centralized Database for the 13th IHWS; and interim support for conversion of the 13th IHWS data into a new human MHC database destined to become a component of GenBank and permanently located within the NCBI, NIH,
* the provision of Biostatistical support,
* the provision of individual projects with support to offset the cost of organization and coordination.
The entire IHWS community benefits indirectly by gaining access to new reagents, as well as through their participation in new collaborative research initiatives and the access they will have to the new human MHC database.
For the Anthropology Component, this support means that we can officially add a new person to our administrative team. Please welcome Laura Geyer to the Anthro Component. Some of you may already have had correspondence with Laura, who will be providing technical support for the Reverse Line Strip system. In addition, Laura wrote the Reverse Line Strip typing protocol as well as the RLS Chapter in the IHWG Technical Manual, and has been instrumental in manufacturing and distributing the reagents.
Pre-Workshop Meetings at ASHI 2000 in Orlando
This October, immediately prior to the ASHI annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, the IHWG will be hosting a series of organizational and informational "Pre-Workshop" meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to share preparations and plans for the Workshop and Conference in 2002, as well as to discuss project aims, preliminary data and technical issues directly with project leaders. In addition, in light of the extension of the Workshop and Conference date to the year 2002, the possibility of the development of new assay systems, new critical reagents, and additional projects, as well as extended database support, will be discussed.
On Monday, October 9, an open pre-Workshop meeting will be held from 10:30 am to 5:00 PM (registration and a fee are required in order to attend) at the South/Center Ballroom of the Hilton, in the Walt Disney World Resort. Plans for each of the 13th International Histocompatibility Workshop (IHWS) projects will be presented for review and discussion. On Tuesday October 10, there will be additional meetings organized by individual component chairs to discuss their workshop plans and progress in greater detail. The Component meetings on Tuesday are open to all interested participants with no registration or fee required. See
The Anthropology / Human Diversity Component will be meeting from 12:45 - 2:45 PM on Tuesday, October 10th at the Hilton. We will discuss the current aims and scope of the Anthro Component, as well as possible additions to the project, and will present some preliminary analyses of "Available Data", as well as IHWG data generated using the Reverse Line Strips. Because we also serve as the Technology Core for the Reverse Line Strip reagents, we will discuss the results of the QC typings using the Reverse Line Strip system, and will demonstrate the pattern interpretation software distributed for use with the strips.
In addition, Anthropology Component participants can pick up their Reverse Line Strip reagents at the end of this meeting, avoiding shipping costs and expensive import fines and charges. These reagents will only be available for those who have ordered them; please fax your order (forms available at
Sequence Based Typing
Sequence Based Typing (SBT) protocols, recommended chemistries and vendors, and other information regarding SBT systems are now available on the SBT section of the IHWG web site. Typing protocols for HLA class I loci as well as for the DRB and DQA loci are currently available, and DQB, DPA, and DPB locus protocols will be available in the near future. In addition, SBT QC panel cells and Reference panel cells can be ordered using the same form available for SSOP and Reverse Line Strip panels http://www.ihwg.org/forms/ref_qc.pdf.
As with the SSOP and Reverse Line Strip typing systems, laboratories which intend to type samples using SBT methods must first qualify to submit data to the central database (database@ihwg.org) by correctly typing a QC panel of 25 cells. Evaluation of SBT results will require submission of histograms as well as allele assignments. For additional information on this process, please review the May 2000 Anthropology Update.
Modifications to Reverse Line Strip Protocol
Some modifications have been made to the Reverse Line Strip protocol. Complete descriptions of these changes will be distributed to RLS users in a separate email. In addition, the updated protocol is available in the protocol section of the IHWG web site.
Human Subjects Research Authorization
Please remember that the Anthro Component has to be in receipt of a letter certifying your laboratory's authorization to conduct human subjects research when you first submit sample typing data to the central database, or your data will not be accepted. A sample letter can be found on the IHWG web site at http://www.ihwg.org/components/IRBLetter.doc.
Submission of QC typing data
All QC typings should be submitted to the central database (database@ihwg.org). Currently, the data submission forms for SSOP- and SBT-generated data are still being developed; when complete, these forms will be available on the Database pages of the IHWG web site. Reverse Line Strip users should submit their data in the form of the output file of the strip interpretation software; with the typing data for each locus saved in a separate file.
Submission of Available Data
Biostatistics core would like to have all Available Data (data which has already been generated in your lab using non-IHWG reagents), submitted for analysis by the end of this month. If you have any Available Data (e.g. you intend to type a set of samples at the class I loci as part of the workshop, but if you have already typed them at the class II loci; this class II typing data counts as Available Data), the procedure for submission can be found at http://www.ihwg.org/shared/database.htm#Anthropology.
See you in Orlando!
Henry Erlich, Steve Mack, and Laura Geyer
Anthropology / Human Genetic Diversity Component
Henry A. Erlich, Ph.D., Chair and
Steven J. Mack, Ph.D.
ROCHE MOLECULAR SYSTEMS
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OAKLAND RESEARCH INSTITUTE
